ENERGY COMPANY Airtricity is to create 105 new jobs at its Dublin headquarters in Sandyford.

The announcement made yesterday by the Tánaiste Mary Coughlan brings to 500 the jobs created by the company since entering the domestic energy supply market in July 2009.

Speaking at the announcement, managing director Stephen Wheeler said: “Airtricity has seen a tenfold increase in customers since we entered the domestic energy market, growing our numbers from just 35,000 to over to over 350,000 customers in 12 months.”

He said the company expected to further grow its customer base to 500,000 over the next six months.

The Tánaiste said the Government was committed to opening power markets to real competition and choice for households and businesses.

“We are now seeing the benefits that this is having in lowering domestic gas and electricity prices and in providing households with a choice of suppliers.”

Asked about the possibility of the energy regulator implementing a “zero disconnections” policy for those unable to pay their energy bills, Mr Wheeler said: “coming into winter, fuel poverty is becoming a major issue and disconnection is a last resort.

“We would support a zero disconnections policy but the key issue for us is to separate the people who don’t want to pay from those who can’t pay.”

He said “debt-hopping” was becoming a serious issue for the company.

“We need to find a solution, otherwise a policy of zero disconnection will be very had to implement.”