Energy deal pushes green power up to sixty per cent

Hull City Council has signed a new three-year deal with Npower placing it in the top 25 of Europe's largest users of accredited green electricity. It means that over 60 per cent of the council's electricity supply now comes from environmentally friendly sources.

As well as street lighting and many schools, green electricity now powers 40 of the city's largest buildings, including Hull City Hall and the Ice Arena.

Relying primarily on sources such as wind turbines, accredited green electricity helps reduce emissions of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, which have been implicated in climate change, and reduces the draining of fossil fuels.

Council energy officer John Bell says the move is a very positive one for Hull and the environment. "Although it is a very competitive market, the council has the will to reach the ultimate target of 100 per cent green electricity," he said. He hoped the agreement would also encourage other companies in the region to consider the green alternative.