Edinburgh-based challenger brand People’s Energy is creating 100 new jobs in Selkirk after taking over the recently vacated Ovo Energy offices in the town.
The social enterprise, founded in 2017 by husband and wife Karin Sode and David Pike to help tackle fuel poverty, aims to return 75 per cent of its profits back to customers.
The pair say they spotted an opportunity when Ovo closed its Ettrick Riverside building in May. The office was previously the workplace for 400 employees of Spark Energy which was acquired by Ovo Energy in 2018. Ovo took over its customer base separately through the Supplier of Last Resort process.
People’s Energy says it wants to tap into some of the talent left behind after Ovo left the town, with some of the 400 employees taking up voluntary redundancy.
David Pike, chief executive of People’s Energy, said: “We’re really excited about opening a new office in Selkirk as the next step in our journey towards eradicating fuel poverty in the UK. The region has a highly talented workforce and we look forward to creating around 100 new jobs over the next eighteen months.
“We’re especially pleased to be creating local employment during the current health and economic crisis, when so many jobs are being lost. From small beginnings three years ago, we’re now a rapidly growing gas and electricity supplier with a purpose, serving 180,000 customers across the UK.
“Looking to expand our operations, we were thrilled to be offered high-quality business space in Selkirk in addition to our existing offices in Shawfair, Edinburgh and Musselburgh.”
In addition, the energy retailer will work in partnership with community development agency South of Scotland Enterprise, which promotes innovation and growth across the region and also has an office at Ettrick.
Pike added: “We’re looking forward to working in partnership with South of Scotland Enterprise to support the local economy. We’ll deliver secure employment for a minimum of 100 people initially and we expect to create more jobs in the future.”
Russel Griggs, chair of South of Scotland Enterprise, said: “People’s Energy’s expansion into Selkirk and the potential of new jobs is fantastic news for the community.
“The Borders has a fantastic reputation for high quality customer service and expertise in the energy sector and I see this as a much-needed boost for Selkirk, and the wider South of Scotland economy.
“As we start to move through the route-map out of the Covid-19 crisis, the creation of job opportunities for local people will be an invaluable contribution in rebuilding our communities and businesses.”
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