The boss of the UK’s newest energy supplier plans to boost jobs in Warwick as it seeks to break stranglehold on the gas and electricity market of the so-called “big six”.

Co-operative Energy, part of Midcounties Co-operative, was launched last month with the hope one day of becoming one of the big seven energy suppliers.

It is using a simple pricing structure as its main selling point, striking a contrast with other suppliers who offer a bewildering array of tariffs.

Warwick-based Midcounties Co-operative launched the energy supplier, which currently employs 20 staff, as it saw that Government and regulators were starting to take action to make it easier for new entrants to come into the market.

Co-operative Energy chief executive Nigel Mason said he could not put exact numbers on plans for jobs and growth in Warwick as these would depend on how many customers signed up.

But he said the business had seen a promising start since its launch in early May and new customer subscription had been better than expected.

“We really are in this for the long run and we want to eventually be part of the big seven,” he said. “The Co-op is big in banking and food retail and we see no reason that it can’t be big in energy.

“That will take a long time, it will take years – but that’s where we want to be.”

He said Warwick would remain the operational headquarters, with the possibility of job creation that that entails.

“We’re not going to outsource a call centre for example – we’re going to employ our own people as that’s the public face of the business,” he said.

“For the foreseeable future as long as anyone’s thinking, Warwick will be our base,” he said.

Warwickshire is something of a hub for the utilities industry, with E.on headquartered in Coventry and The National Grid in Warwick.