The UK’s only supplier of 100 per cent renewable electricity, Good Energy, based in Chippenham, has achieved coveted Beacon South West status joining the likes of Triodos Bank, Aardman Animation and Bristol International Airport.
Established in 1999 as part of the independent Good Energy Group, the company received the Beacon South West stamp in recognition of its impressive expansion having achieved a 62 per cent jump in growth during 2005/2006. The Good Energy team has also seen an expansion from four to 60 in less than ten years.
Furthermore, whilst the average UK supplier lags behind with 4.7 per cent ‘green energy’, Good Energy remains the only completely renewable and natural electricity provider operating in the UK today. This is because Good Energy’s electricity comes from wind, water, sunlight and other renewable sources.
In addition, Good Energy provides energy efficiency solutions for its customers through the Good Energy Shop and offer incentives to people who generate their own electricity at home through systems such as solar photo voltaic panels, wind turbines and hydro plants. This allows Good Energy customers to run their lives on natural resources, as well as getting paid for their investment in renewables. And because Good Energy do not use coal, gas or nuclear power sources in their electricity production, the carbon footprint of their customers can be reduced by an average of two tonnes per year.
Beacon South West project director, Sue Baker, explained: “Good Energy has become the champion of its very own breed of success achieving rapid expansion through a blend of business savvy and a genuine desire to educate its stakeholders and customers as to how we can all operate more sustainably.
“Each stage of the businesses development has been handled with care, consideration and an open mind, with the company creating a very open dialogue amongst all management and staff to ensure a dynamic team culture throughout.”
Beacon South West is a leading business initiative supported by the South West Regional Development Agency (SWRDA) bringing together the region’s most pioneering and rapidly expanding organisations. A professional environment for good practice, fresh ideas and innovation, Beacon South West works with businesses that are as ambitious as they are contemporary – in both their performance and thinking. Beacon businesses are ambassadors for outstanding achievement, raising the region’s profile overall and, in return, all Beacon businesses receive the full professional support of their peers gaining access to new ideas and strategies, as well as high quality resources and training.
Barney Rhys Jones, managing director for Good Energy, commented: “From our base in Chippenham to our wind-farm in Delabole, we have built strong links throughout the South West as both an ethical employer and supplier to thousands of households in the region. So this recognition has been proudly received.
“Our mission is to enable individuals to take positive and practical steps to reduce their impact on the environment by supplying them with 100 per cent renewable electricity, providing the means to reduce their energy usage, and supporting home generation. Our 25,000 customers have shown that a pure, renewable supplier, can succeed in a market dominated by over-dependence on fossil fuels. With their support we have taken a passionate and practical stand in the campaign for renewable energy in the UK lighting a path for other suppliers to follow.”
To find out more about Beacon SW, including joining the initiative, please visit www.beaconsw.org
For more information on Good Energy please visit http://www.good-energy.co.uk/
