HUNDREDS of North-East call centre workers face an uncertain future as an energy firm, which recently reported soaring profits and a hike in household bills, announced it was to cut 1,400 jobs and outsource work to India.

Npower is closing its offices in Thornaby, near Stockton, and two of its three buildings in Peterlee, County Durham, as well as a site in Stoke.

Back-office jobs will be sent to India and 570 jobs are moving to a UK call centre operator.

Unions said the move was an act of naked greed which comes days before npower increases its energy prices.

Colin Smith, GMB Northern spokesman, said: “At this time of the year when Christmas lights are being turned on for most people, npower workers, their families and communities have no yuletide greetings.

“They have only fear from a company only interested in their fat cat salaries and what they can get out of consumers who are paying ever higher energy prices so corporate bureaucrats can get fatter as their reward for failure.”

The company declined to comment on the plans, which are part of a five-year programme to close 16 of its 26 UK offices.

Npower bosses were yesterday called to an emergency meeting ahead of an announcement being made to staff at 9am today.

The Northern Echo understands that Tees House and Tyne House on the Peterlee site will be closed and the Wear House call centre will be run by outsourcing firm Capita. The 2,000 staff at npower’s largest UK office in Houghton-le- Spring, County Durham, are not affected at this stage.

The announcement will end weeks of speculation about job cuts amid rising anger over energy bills.

Earlier this week, industry regulator Ofgem said profits at the big six energy suppliers rose 75 per cent last year.

Npower’s 900,000 customers across the North are braced for average gas prices rises of 11.1 per cent and electricity prices of 9.3 per cent, which come into effect on Sunday.

Last week, the company was named the most complained about energy firm in the country, receiving nearly three times as many complaints as its closest rival.

Npower chief executive Paul Massara recently dismissed giving up his £150,000 annual bonus in response to fury over rising prices as a gimmick.

His comments followed an Age UK survey which said 28 per cent of over-65s said their main concern for the cold months is ensuring they can heat their homes. The same report warned that 24,000 older people may not survive the upcoming cold snap.

Mr Smith said: “It is an absolute scandal that a company like npower can operate as a cartel player in a captive market while jobs are placed offshore, we import energy and the npower chief executive cocks a snook at the regulators and taxpayer by taking his annual bonus.

“At a time of a cost of living crisis, with the npower CEOs’ couldn’t-give-a-damn attitude about workers or customers, it is time to say enough is enough.”

He called for an inquiry into power company practices.

James Wharton, Conservative MP for Stockton South, who will hold talks with npower this morning, said any restructuring would be of great concern to employees and the local economy.

Louise Baldock, the Labour Party candidate for Stockton South, said: “The shift of hundreds of jobs to India, together with losses of hundreds more from DirectLine and uncertainty at Barclaycard is damaging the local economy and ruining people’s lives.”