AN energy company is set to bring 70 new jobs to Ipswich with the expansion of its customer service centre at Fore Hamlet. EDF Energy Networks is drawing up plans for the centre, at a former storage area at its present site, in a move which underlines its stated commitment to keeping call centre operations in the UK.

AN energy company is set to bring 70 new jobs to Ipswich with the expansion of its customer service centre at Fore Hamlet.

EDF Energy Networks is drawing up plans for the centre, at a former storage area at its present site, in a move which underlines its stated commitment to keeping call centre operations in the UK.

It says it hopes to expand the existing building in an environmentally-friendly and sustainable way, with work expected to be completed the work by April 2007.

The move will combine an existing customer service centre in West Sussex with the Fore Hamlet-based operation to create one UK-based customer service centre for the company's customers.

Around 30 staff members are expected to relocate from Sussex to Suffolk, bringing its total Ipswich workforce to around 350, and around 2,000 across the whole of the east of England.

The centre will deal with power interruption and emergency enquiries relating to its electricity network in the east of England, London and the south east.

“EDF Energy has conducted extensive customer research over the past two years and is committed to keeping call centre operations in the UK,” it says.

“The company is continually looking at ways to improve our customer experience and will be including state of the art technology in the new centre, which will assist our staff in offering the best service possible.”

Alan Feakins, director of customer operations at EDF said: “The expansion of our customer service centre at Ipswich is an important part of EDF Energy's integration plans which will help meet our ambitions to improve customer service.

“Whilst some existing staff will be moving into the area, we are delighted to be able to offer a range of new jobs to people in the local community.”

EDF is looking for electrical engineers and customer services advisers to fill posts within the company.

All staff at the Sussex-based operation who do not wish to relocate are being offered redeployment opportunities in other parts of the company.