A fatcat energy boss who told struggling customers to ‘cuddle their cats' to stay warm during the freezing winter is building a luxury gym and spa at his £3.5million home.
Stephen Fitzpatrick, the founder of OVO Energy, one of Britain's biggest energy suppliers is adding the spa to his pool-house and tennis court.
According to planning documents submitted to the council, Mr Fitzpatrick's new 1,302 sq ft gym and spa would ‘complement the existing leisure facilities'.
This is just the latest addition to his growing Gloucestershire estate which already includes visitor parking spaces and an estate manager's office – and the energy tycoon plans for more improvements.
In the planning application, the 44-year-old will also be allowed to build a greenhouse and walled garden.
Stephen Fitzpatrick, the founder of OVO Energy, one of Britain's biggest energy suppliers is adding a spa to his pool-house and tennis court in his luxury sprawling £3.5million mansion
His Gloucestershire estate already includes visitor parking spaces and an estate manager's office and now has planning permission for a walled garden and greenhouse
The 44-year-old's company once advised customers to stay warm by cuddling their pets, eating porridge, or doing star jumps
Cotswold District Council has granted retrospective permission for a 276 sq ft estate manager's office, six visitors' parking spaces and storage containers because they they had already been built.
But, while the energy boss is living a lavish lifestyle in a mansion that costs a whopping £850-per-month to power, OVO's sister company SSE Energy advised desperate customers to cuddle pets or do ‘a few star jumps' to stay warm rather than turn the heating up.
In an email sent round to customers, ‘simple and cost effective ways to keep warm this winter’ included having a ‘cuddle with your pets and loved ones to help stay cosy’, eating ‘hearty bowls of porridge’, sticking to ‘non-alcoholic drinks’ and eating ginger — but not chilli, ‘as it makes you sweat’.
Also included was advice to ‘get moving’ by doing star jumps, cleaning the house, or ‘challenging the kids to a hula-hoop contest’.
Mr Fitzpatrick who boasts an estimated worth of £2.1billion apologised for the comments made in 2022, sating ‘someone had a bad day'.
‘We made a mistake.'
Belfast-born Mr Fitzpatrick told the BBC: ‘I'd like to start by apologising, again. It is unfortunately the case that we are a large company and somebody had a bad day, they sent out an email and we should have caught it. It is an email that should never have been written.
‘I think it was probably meant with good intentions but this is the kind of email that causes a lot of upset. Nobody takes the situation facing British customers more seriously than I do so it's really upsetting and embarrassing'.
Mr Fitzpatrick who boasts an estimated worth of £2.1billion apologised for the comments made in 2022, sating ‘someone had a bad day
Belfast-born Mr Fitzpatrick's home costs a whopping £850-per-month to power.
The stunning home is set in 12 acres of pristine countryside and also has a swimming pool, four bathrooms and elegant dining room with stunning views
An email was sent round to customers with advice on how to stay warm and avoid turning up the heating
When asked if he was worried that the company's reputation had been badly hurt, he said: ‘I hope that the British public will understand that not everybody gets it right all the time'
‘We have spent five or six years investing tens of millions of pounds on technologies that can help customers lower their carbon footprint, save energy and save money so it's really ironic that we're also the company sending out these ridiculous emails advising people to eat porridge and not drink wine. It's just embarrassing and I hope that we have been emphatic with how we have dealt with this'.
Stephen Fitzpatrick, founder and head of Ovo Energy, Britain's third-biggest energy supplier, did not reveal if the person who wrote the email had been sacked but admitted their suggestions had been ‘upsetting and embarrassing'.
Simon Francis, of the End Fuel Poverty Coalition, said: ‘While customers suffer in cold, damp homes, energy bosses like this are living the high life.
‘Families are cutting back on showers to save money.
‘Meanwhile, he is wanting to build a new spa complex.
‘It's obscene.'
