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| Npower confirms 2,400 job losses | Npower confirms 2,400 job losses |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Energy firm Npower has confirmed it is cutting 2,400 jobs in the UK after losing 351,000 customers in 2015. | Energy firm Npower has confirmed it is cutting 2,400 jobs in the UK after losing 351,000 customers in 2015. |
| The "big six" energy firm has been plagued by customer complaints over billing and in December was fined, by the energy industry's regulator, a record £26m for those problems. | The "big six" energy firm has been plagued by customer complaints over billing and in December was fined, by the energy industry's regulator, a record £26m for those problems. |
| Npower lost €137m (£106m) last year, compared with €227m profit in 2014. | Npower lost €137m (£106m) last year, compared with €227m profit in 2014. |
| Its parent company, Germany's RWE, warned that billing issues at Npower would continue throughout 2016. | Its parent company, Germany's RWE, warned that billing issues at Npower would continue throughout 2016. |
| Npower said the job losses would be among both its directly employed staff and contractors. | Npower said the job losses would be among both its directly employed staff and contractors. |
| It currently employs 11,500 people in the UK, of which 6,668 are full time posts. | |
| Npower described its annual results as "extremely disappointing" and announced the start of a two-year programme to "simplify its business processes". | Npower described its annual results as "extremely disappointing" and announced the start of a two-year programme to "simplify its business processes". |
| "They [the results] show a business that tried to do too much, too soon while not focusing enough on the fundamentals in a constantly changing market. This led to over complicated processes and procedures resulting in unhappy customers, too many complaints and extra costs to put things right, " Paul Coffey, chief executive of Npower said. | "They [the results] show a business that tried to do too much, too soon while not focusing enough on the fundamentals in a constantly changing market. This led to over complicated processes and procedures resulting in unhappy customers, too many complaints and extra costs to put things right, " Paul Coffey, chief executive of Npower said. |
| But RWE also blamed government schemes to make homes more energy efficient for the "weakening our market share". | But RWE also blamed government schemes to make homes more energy efficient for the "weakening our market share". |
| "Under Energy Company Obligation major UK energy firms such as Npower are obliged to finance measures to increase the energy efficiency of households and are therefore at a cost disadvantage compared to smaller providers, which do not have such obligations", the company said. | "Under Energy Company Obligation major UK energy firms such as Npower are obliged to finance measures to increase the energy efficiency of households and are therefore at a cost disadvantage compared to smaller providers, which do not have such obligations", the company said. |
| RWE announced a €637m (£493m) annual group loss, compared with a profit of €2.2bn a year earlier. | RWE announced a €637m (£493m) annual group loss, compared with a profit of €2.2bn a year earlier. |
| Npower's main plants in the UK are in Pembroke and Aberthaw in Wales and Staythorpe in Nottinghamshire. | |
| Along with other big six suppliers, Npower announced a 5.2% price cut to its standard domestic gas tariff that would affect 1.2 million customers. |