Stephen Fitzpatrick
Stephen Fitzpatrick hopes to add fancy new facilities to his home (Picture: Getty/Marc Giddings)

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.

COTSWOLD MAMOR OWNED BY STEPHEN FITZPATRICK FOUNDER OF OVO ENERGY,IN POOLE KEYNES,GLOUCESTERSHIRE.
The stunning mansion sits in 13 acres and costs more than £800 a month to heat (Picture: MARC GIDDINGS)
For use in UK, Ireland or Benelux countries only BBC handout photo of Ovo chief executive Stephen Fitzpatrick appearing on the BBC1 current affairs programme, The Andrew Marr Show. PA Photo. Issue date: Sunday October 10, 2021. See PA story CONSUMER Energy. Photo credit should read: Jeff Overs/BBC/PA Wire NOTE TO EDITORS: Not for use more than 21 days after issue. You may use this picture without charge only for the purpose of publicising or reporting on current BBC programming, personnel or other BBC output or activity within 21 days of issue. Any use after that time MUST be cleared through BBC Picture Publicity. Please credit the image to the BBC and any named photographer or independent programme maker, as described in the caption.
Fitzpatrick has multi-billion pound net worth and plans to expand his luxurious estate(Credits: PA)

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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