Centrica gas giant will move out of Windsor, company confirms

Centrica, the British multinational energy company, has confirmed that it has plans to move out of Windsor.

Operating under the trading name British Gas in England and Wales, Centrica is the largest supplier of gas to customers in the UK, and one of the largest suppliers of electricity.

Centrica Plc is based in Millstream, Maidenhead Road and resides in a 121,000sqft, three storey-building.

Its headquarters have been based in Maidenhead Road since about 2001, having been previously headquartered in Windsor Road, Slough.

Now the company says that it is planning to move on – but not immediately.

A Centrica spokesperson said: “While we’ll remain in Windsor for a while yet, we’ve recently let colleagues know that we’ve secured two new hubs in Reading town centre and Paddington.

“Alongside our move to more flexible working, our office needs have evolved.

“We want to ensure we have the right modern and flexible spaces for collaboration, which are well-connected and easily accessible.”

Conservative MP for Windsor, Jack Rankin, said of the news:

“Any business taking the decision to leave my wonderful constituency is of course sad, particularly when it is one close to my heart as Centrica is.

“My first graduate job out of university was at the Millstream site in Windsor, for which I have fond memories – as a former employee and visiting as the local Member of Parliament.

“I have spoken to Centrica about their decision to relocate and understand their reasons for doing so.

“I am pleased that this will not result in any job losses and will take place in phases until the end of next year. In the meantime, I look forward to continuing to work closely with them on local and national issues that matter to my constituents.

“In terms of the site itself, I have written to the landlords and asked to meet them to understand their plans for its future. I will be providing an update when this has become clearer.”

Windsor councillor Julian Tisi (Lib Dem, Eton and Castle), who worked across Centrica sites for ‘19 good years’, said the news was ‘disappointing’ but perhaps not surprising.

The main disadvantage of the site it is largely only accessible by car. Moreover, ‘the world of work has changed since Covid’, he said.

“There’s this push to try to get people back into the office, but I think remote working is here to stay,” said Cllr Tisi. “It’s good to see Centrica embracing that.

“It’s sad to see them go. On a personal level, one of the things I liked about them is they’re a very good employer.”

Why Reading and not Windsor?

Reading differs from Windsor in a number of key ways; it is built for business at scale and also offers more smaller, high-spec hubs near the station.

It has an overall bigger pool of offices, from new towers such as Station Hill to large campuses such as Green Park and Thames Valley Park.

Industry consensus is that Reading office space is more hybrid-friendly, with more collaboration areas and amenities – on par with London without the London prices.

Moreover, Reading has a long-standing technology, science and professional services presence and offers a ‘cluster’, ie more suppliers, partners and recruiters are found in one place.

UK Property Forums, a business publication for the property sector, linked Centrica to a 40,000sqft Station Hill deal in March this year – though the company would not confirm this.