E.ON confirms to cut 1,800 jobs

FRANKFURT Aug 27 (Reuters) - Germany's E.ON (EONGn.DE), Europe's second-largest utility, confirmed a newspaper report it plans to cut 1,800 jobs as it separates its energy-grid businesses from its other units following regulatory demands.

E.ON's power-generation and power-sales division E.ON Energie plans to separate its grid business more clearly from its energy sales business and is setting up regional and national sales units, the company said on Wednesday.

These units will from September sell energy to customers, a task previously carried out by E.ON's six regional units, which will in the future be mostly responsible for operating the local energy grids, the company said.

The jobs will be cut over several years, the company said.

E.ON was not available to detail potential savings and effects of the plans on earnings. (Reporting by Peter Dinkloh; Editing by Erica Billingham)