Stephen Fitzpatrick is adding a 1,300 sq ft gym and spa to his sprawling £3.5 million mansion.
The founder of OVO energy, who previously told customers they should ‘cuddle their cats’ to stay warm during freezing winter months, will be adding to his luxurious estate.
Fitzpatrick has submitted planning documents which include a new 1,302 sq ft gym and spa that would ‘complement the existing leisure facilities’.
The Gloucestershire estate already boasts visitor parking spaces and an estate manager’s office, however he has plans for further improvements.
The energy boss has also applied to build a greenhouse and walled garden.
OVO energy is one of Britain’s largest energy suppliers, whose sister company SSE energy sent an email round to clients advising them of ‘simple and cost effective ways to keep warm’ back in 2022.
This list 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’.
The company also advised to get moving ‘by doing star jumps, cleaning the house’, or ‘challenging the kids to a hula-hoop contest’.
Fitzpatrick, who is worth an estimated £2.1 billion, apologised for the comments by saying that ‘someone had a bad day’.
He 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’.
A spokesperson for 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.’
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