Retailer Debenhams Ireland has signed a gas and renewable electricity deal with Irish energy supplier Vayu Energy valued at €3m per annum. The agreement will see Vayu Energy supply Debenhams with gas and 100% green electricity to meet all the year-round energy requirements for its eleven stores in the Republic of Ireland and five stores in Northern Ireland.
The deal provides Debenhams with direct access to wholesale market prices for both electricity and gas, allowing the company to achieve significant savings compared with traditional fixed rate tariffs in the market. As part of a fully managed agreement, Vayu Energy will provide Debenhams with the procurement tools, market analysis and advice to purchase energy at the best price available in the market.
A critical consideration for Debenhams in choosing Vayu as its energy partner was the ability to source fully traceable green electricity for its operations, thereby helping to significantly reduce the company’s carbon footprint. Vayu is the only energy company in Ireland to supply all its business customers with electricity 100% attributed to renewable sources. This means that the carbon footprint of Vayu’s customers is zero in terms of the electricity they consume.
Jaz Rabadia, Energy Manager at Debenhams, said: “The deal gives us direct access to wholesale gas and electricity prices backed up by Vayu’s deep expertise and understanding of Ireland’s energy market. This is nothing less than a win-win for Debenhams, enabling us to manage our energy procurement more effectively while significantly reducing our energy costs.”
Ms Rabadia states that energy use is a key focus for Debenhams as part of the company’s commitment to environmental sustainability. She says: “We have delivered a continuous programme of energy investment over the last five years to reduce carbon emissions across all aspects of our business. Our partnership with Vayu helps us reduce our environmental footprint even further by providing us with 100% green electricity.”
Stephen Behan, energy specialist at Vayu said: “With energy costs becoming a greater consideration, businesses across Ireland are seeking more effective ways to manage their energy procurement and achieve substantial savings. This is changing the way companies source their energy – moving away from traditional commodity approaches to solutions based on sophisticated management tools that minimise the per-unit cost of energy purchased.”
Mr Behan said that environmental considerations are playing a greater role when businesses purchase electricity with access to renewable electricity becoming a very important issue as companies look to minimise their carbon footprint and limit the environmental impact of their activities.