Yorkshire Water has appointed multi-national energy company ENGIE as energy supplier in a partnership which will see ENGIE deliver a flexible, competitive energy supply and the aim of reducing the water company’s annual  £53 million electricity costs.

.Last year the utility spent £53 million on meeting its electricity requirements - the agreement with ENGIE includes is a commitment to reducing energy consumption in addition to just supplying power.

Under the five year deal, opportunities for cost and carbon reduction will be identified by ENGIE through comprehensive audits of Yorkshire Water’s sites. ENGIE will use its C3NTINEL online energy management platform to analyse historic usage patterns, monitor energy consumption and optimise demand.

The water company has a target of generating 12 per cent of its total annual energy needs via renewable energy – it has also managed to reduce carbon emissions by 4.3 per cent in the last three years.

Sam Evans, Yorkshire Water Energy & Recycling Manager, added:

“Yorkshire Water has a rigorous sustainability programme, with the objective of reducing carbon emissions and energy costs to keep bills low for our customers. ENGIE has an impressive track record of delivering energy savings alongside its energy supply activities and will play a key role in supporting our efficiency and sustainability imperatives.

“The energy efficiency and optimisation measures identified by ENGIE will help us to meet our energy priorities, which include increasing the efficiency of assets and processes, managing demand more effectively and generating energy on site. “

The agreement includes a major innovation in the market with ENGIE guaranteeing the identification of significant financial savings over the next five years.

Paul Rawson, CEO of ENGIE’s Energy Solutions Division in the UK, commented:

“Farsighted businesses such as Yorkshire Water recognise the benefits of working in partnership with their energy providers to help improve their energy performance, cut costs and reduce emissions. We are delighted that Yorkshire Water has recognised ENGIE as the ideal partner to deliver this added value.”

Previously known as GDF SUEZ , the multi-national was rebranded as  ENGIE in April 2015.

The French-headquartered group now employs some 150,000 people worldwide.