Hundreds of jobs lost as energy firm goes into administration

Almost 300 jobs have been lost after an energy company was placed into administration.

City Energy Group announced a restructure which means hundreds of jobs will be lost at Consumer Energy Services (CES) in south Wales.

On Friday, the group blamed the restructure on "the run-down" of the UK government's ECO4 funding scheme.

The initiative, aimed at improving energy efficiency in low-income and vulnerable households, is due to come to an end this year.

A spokesperson on behalf of the board of City Energy Group said: "The conclusion of the ECO4 scheme created significant headwinds for the CES arm of our business which generated significant revenues for this specific subsidiary.

"Despite exhaustive efforts to secure a solvent path forward, regrettably it was not viable to continue trading."

They confirmed CES employed 295 people in Swansea and Treorchy, Rhondda Cynon Taf, adding administrators would now be responsible for supporting staff, including in using outlets such as Job Centre Wales and Careers Wales.

The jobs being lost are expected to include sales advisors, project planners and staff in heating and insulation departments.

CES said employees would be contacted directly to confirm the next steps and how claims will be processed.

The spokesperson added: "We will be unable to carry out any remedial works or repairs, or to progress or resolve any existing complaints."

Previous customers who had an installation completed by CES and may be experiencing issues are being referred to insurance-backed guarantee providers for advice.

A spokesperson for the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero said: "The ECO and GBIS schemes were not delivering value for money.

"We are instead investing an additional £1.5 billion into our Warm Homes Plan, taking it to nearly £15 billion – the biggest ever public investment to upgrade homes and tackle fuel poverty."