An independent energy company which supplies some of Ireland’s largest natural gas customers, is offering to pay €100 to charity for every potential employee it interviews.

Energy company Vayu whose customers range from UCD to Britvic has said it was prompted to make the donation because of the difficulty in recruiting staff.

Commercial director Liam Faulkner said graduate and non-graduate positions are available and potential employees will be offered salaries “on a competitive level in the business”.

Among the duties of potential staff are “customer management”, assessing the energy usage of potential new customers, working out energy management programmes and reducing client’s energy bills. Good communications and presentation skills are required.

Mr Faulkner said the business was also seeking to recruit for its graduate development programme. Successful applicants would be spending time in finance, operations, Information technology and quality management.

According to Mr Faulkner the decision to offer a donation to charity was in part motivated by the difficulty in securing suitably qualified staff . “But it is a genuine offer.

We need good people and we are prepared to make a donation of €100 to the Saint Vincent de Paul for each person we interview” he said. Vayu’s customers include UCD, ’green’ cement provider Ecocem, and Britvic.

Mr Faulkner said Vayu entered the Irish Gas market in 2004 and launched its electricity business in 2007. The company is part owned by Glencore Xstrata, one of the world’s largest global diversified natural resource companies and its gas procurement partner.