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(Alliance News) - Centrica PLC's British Gas is to recruit hundreds of new staff across its network of energy contact centres.
The energy giant said it is creating around 700 new jobs by the end of the year to boost its existing customer service teams in Stockport, Leicester, Leeds, Edinburgh and Cardiff.
The company said it is also rolling out additional training on helping customers in financial difficulty.
British Gas said that although energy prices have come down, it still expects customers to need support.
The increase in staffing will also mean longer opening times for British Gas customers of 8am to 6pm on weekdays and 9am to 2pm on Saturdays.
Chris O'Shea, chief executive of Centrica, parent company of British Gas, said: "Although energy prices have come down slightly, many of our customers are still struggling overall with the cost of living and need to speak to us for longer about their energy bills.
"Strengthening our UK call centre operations will allow us to help more households with expert advice and support during this time. I'm extremely proud of how our expert teams support our customers every day – in the past year they've helped over one million customers who've been struggling to afford their bills with additional support such as grants, debt relief and payment plans."
By Alan Jones, PA Industrial Correspondent
source: PA
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