Country NSW workers hit by energy job cuts

Hundreds of NSW energy workers have lost their jobs after details of cuts were revealed on Tuesday afternoon.

About 700 jobs have been slashed in the first stage of cuts that will result in nearly 1400 workers leave Essential Energy with the majority of jobs losses falling on regional depots.

The Electrical Trades Union claimed some workers had been "left in limbo" as they have to wait until October 12 to know if their job might go.

Essential Energy said the cuts were necessary to comply with Australian Energy Regulator's decision to reduce the company's operating costs by 30 per cent.

The ETU said current workers were being forced to reapply for their jobs to avoid the cuts.

"(It) is basically a brutal form of musical chairs, where management remove jobs and force existing workers to scramble for the reduced number that remain," ETU deputy secretary Neville Betts said.