Thu, 13 Nov 2025

Thu, 13 Nov 2025 British Gas boss voices concerns over Scotland's energy jobs

Chris O'Shea, the boss of Centrica, which owns British Gas, says the energy transition is correct, but worries over the impact on jobs.
Chris O'Shea, CEO of Centrica and British Gas, is concerned about the impact of the energy transition on jobs in the North Sea oil and gas industry. He believes that the decline in drilling for gas and oil will not be offset by new roles in green energy quickly enough. O'Shea points out that his company no longer explores for oil and gas in the North Sea, but argues that the pace of the transition needs to be managed more carefully to avoid job losses. He draws on his personal experience growing up in a town affected by coal mine closures during the miners' strike, where people were left without work. The CEO has previously made significant job cuts at Centrica, including axing around 5,000 roles during the Covid pandemic. However, he also says that the company is committed to taking on apprentices and has taken on over 1,700 in recent years. O'Shea criticizes energy regulator Ofgem for not doing enough to prevent small suppliers going bust due to high wholesale prices and fixed-price deals with customers. He argues that profits should not be privatized while losses are socialized, and suggests that Ofgem's regulation has not done enough to protect the sector. The CEO also defends British Gas' dividend payments to shareholders, arguing that they are not made from customer bills but from other parts of Centrica's business. However, he acknowledges that there was a public backlash over the company's debt collection practices and claims that prepayment meters are no longer force-fitted in people's homes. O'Shea also welcomes potential plans for relief for billpayers in the Budget, such as cutting VAT on energy, but warns that the cost of this will need to be paid for in some way.
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