E.On

Kids’ favourite TV character Bob the Builder – complete with a voice over by actor Neil Morrissey – has been hired to encourage more people to learn green energy skills

Much-loved cartoon character Bob the Builder is making a return in his original form after 15 years – to plug green energy.

The kids TV favourite, voiced by Men Behaving Badly actor Neil Morrissey, appears in a new advert from energy giant E.on.

And he also reveals what he has been doing since the original stop motion version of the show ended in 2011, including taking up yoga, bird watching and travelling to Australia.

It is Down Under, so the new story goes, that Britain’s best known tradesman twigs the importance of green energy, such as solar panels and home batteries. On returning home, he decides to learn the skills needed to fit the new kit, with the advert ending with his famous catchphrase: “Can we fix it? Yes we can.”

The 90 second piece, which will run across E.ON UK’s social media channels, is designed to encourage many more people to learn the same type of skills.

It comes as new research commissioned by the company found that around one third of professionals in the UK energy sector believe the workforce is not yet fully equipped to install the technologies needed for the transition to green energy.

At the same time, 89% agree that greater investment and closer collaboration between government and industry are needed. And the vast majority say that upskilling the existing workforce will be just as important as attracting new talent to meet future demand.

Helen Bradbury, chief people officer at E.ON UK, said: “Bob the Builder has always inspired people to solve problems and build things that matter. Today, those same qualities are needed to help deliver the UK’s transition to clean power.

“By embracing green skills and fronting this campaign, he’s a shining example of how we can make new energy work for everyone.

“If we invest in people’s homes, we can build a new energy system from the ground up. One that uses low-carbon, connected technologies like solar panels and batteries to put customers back in control of their energy use and lower their bills.”