1,000 new jobs in the UK are to be created by Octopus Energy across a variety of sites in Brighton, Leicester, London and Warwick as well as a new tech hub in Manchester. The vision from Octopus Energy is to make the United Kingdom the Silicon Valley of Energy.
The plan is for graduates to be employed across all the new UK sites which will help to develop the proprietary green energy technology platform. This has lead to Octopus Energy being one of the fastest growing companies in the whole of the United Kingdom.
Boris Johnson, the Prime Minister has stated that the creation of the new jobs will generate ‘exciting opportunities’ across the United Kingdom for workers who will want to be at the ‘cutting edge’ of the green revolution globally.
Johnson went on to say ‘It’s UK tech companies like Octopus who will ensure we continue to build back greener and remain a world leader in pioneering renewable energy, leading the path to net zero whilst creating thousands of skilled jobs’.
Octopus is the most recent tech company from the United Kingdom that has been dubbed a ‘tech unicorn’. Meaning it is a start-up company that is now valued at over $1 billion. In May this year Origin, an Australian energy company bought a £300 million stake of 20 per cent. Since this, it has made a £100 million leap into the United States market, which comes part of the company’s goal to reach 100 million energy customers globally by 2027.
Octopus Energy’s latest recruits will be helping to develop new smart grid technologies which will aid the transport and heating systems across Britain. This will harness cheaper renewable energy and help Britain achieve its goal to be carbon neutral by the year 2050.
Rishi Sunak, the chancellor has said that the increase in green jobs is not just good news for those looking for a job in the UK but it also provides confidence to the British public that during the economy’s recovery a greener future is on the horizon.
One example of Octopus Energy using their cutting edge technology is through their platform Kraken. It is used so that its customers can earn money from using increased electricity when renewable generation is high. It also allows them to avoid paying higher costs when the renewable energy production is lower.
Octopus Energy have also increased the amount of companies it works with such as Co-op energy, good energy and E.On. These companies use the Kraken platform through license deals from Octopus.
The chief executive of Octopus Energy, Greg Jackson has said that the new technology could mean that the United Kingdom is the best place to invest in making new green electricity generation.
Jackson went on to state, “We’re revolutionising the energy industry (…) creating jobs not just through increased demand for affordable renewables, but by facilitating the development of new and emerging industries like electric vehicles, electric heating and vertical farming.”