Phil Bentley, Managing Director, British Gas

Staines, U.K. --- (METERING.COM) --- July 2, 2009 - British Gas plans to create 2,600 skilled new jobs by 2012 to lead the rollout of smart meter technology across Britain.

Of these 2,600 jobs, 1,700 will be new jobs for the country while it is expected that the remaining 900 new recruits will be people who transfer to British Gas from current third party metering organisations.

The 2,600 will include 2,100 smart energy experts working “in the field”, 400 supporting team members and 130 managerial staff.

The announcement comes as British Gas opens its new Energy Academy in Leicester, which will train the engineers of the future, including the new smart energy experts.

“British Gas is committed to making our customers’ homes the greenest in Europe, cutting their carbon emissions and fuel bills,” said Phil Bentley, managing director of British Gas. “Today’s announcement of 2,600 new jobs by 2012 shows we are creating skilled green jobs in Britain and training the experts who will help customers become more energy efficient in the future.”

The 2,100 field workers will also help householders understand how smart meters give them the control to cut their energy use, reduce their carbon footprint, and save money on their fuel bills. As well as installing the smart meters, they will be able to advise customers on the range of tariffs available, conduct home energy efficiency audits, give tailored advice on measures that could cut energy use, advise customers on ways they can generate their own energy, and install and maintain microgeneration technologies.

The 2,600 new smart metering jobs brings the total “green” jobs being created by British Gas to 4,100 so far this year. The 1,500 jobs announced in February include energy efficiency surveyors and engineers and wind farm designers.

British Gas is currently running the largest smart meter trial in the country with almost 50,000 homes and businesses.