ELECTRICITY and water group United Utilities is to cut 200 jobs over three years as part of an efficiency drive.

The moves announced last night follow industry-wide price and cost reviews by watchdogs Ofgem and Ofwat.

United said it had decided to accept recommendations from both regulators, adding that it had plans in place to achieve £200m of savings.

It expects the 200 job cuts to come from voluntary redundancies among its 4,600 workforce. United's regulated business manages electricity distribution as well as water and waste water networks for 2.9 million customers in North-West England.