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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Business
Jillian Ambrose Energy correspondent

From star jumps to job cuts: how Ovo Energy fell from grace

Stephen Fitzpatrick, founder of OVO Energy
Ovo Energy founder Stephen Fitzpatrick controls a sprawling empire including the software company Kaluza and London’s Kensington Roof Gardens. Photograph: PR

As Britons braced for freezing wintry weather in early months of the 2022 energy cost crisis, the country’s fourth largest gas and electricity supplier urged struggling households to try “doing a few star jumps” to keep warm.

This poorly judged suggestion, alongside others such as “having a cuddle with your pets”, was branded insulting and offensive by consumer groups. For many, the gaffe marked the beginning of Ovo Energy’s precipitous fall from grace.

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