Under freedom of information legislation, please provide the following information about energy and water for the schools you maintain or run, as at the date of this request. If any of it is already published, a link is fine.
Schools arrangement
1. Do you buy electricity and gas on behalf of the schools you maintain or run? If so, please list the schools included (school names are enough).
Devon County Council (DCC) holds an energy supply contract with Laser Energy. This DCC contract functions as an opt-in arrangement that aggregates purchasing power.
In this way, schools are able to use the Laser Energy contract as a vehicle for their gas and electricity needs, however they do contract directly with Laser Energy.
2. Can schools opt out and buy their own energy? If so, please list the schools that have opted out, if you hold this information.
Yes, schools are not obliged to use the energy contract.
DCC does not hold a list of schools that have opted out of the Laser contract.
3. Do any academies in your area buy energy through your arrangement? If so, please list them.
Please see the responses to questions 1 and 2. Academies may use the Laser Energy contract, or they may opt out. They are not obliged to use the energy contract, and if they do contract with Laser Energy, they do so directly with Laser Energy.
DCC does not hold a list of academies who buy energy through this arrangement.
Electricity and gas
4. Who is the current electricity supplier, and what are the contract start and end dates?
Electricity is provided by npower.
The contract start date is 1st September 2024 and the end date is 31st October 2028.
5. Who is the current gas supplier, and what are the contract start and end dates?
Gas is provided by Total Gas and Power.
The contract start date is 1st September 2024 and the end date is 31st October 2028.
6. Are the contracts fixed price or flexible?
Purchase In Advance (PIA) fixed pricing for 12 month periods.
7. How were they procured (direct with a supplier, through a framework, or through a broker or consultant)? Please name the framework or broker.
The contracts were procured through Framework Kent County Council Y22008 (Gas) and Y22009 (Electricity).
Metering and services
8. Who are the Meter Operator (MOP), Data Collector (DC) and Data Aggregator (DA) for the schools’ electricity meters, and when do those contracts end?
For schools which are part of the Laser contract, this forms part of the contract.
9. Do the schools have an energy monitoring platform or a bill validation service? If so, which provider?
For schools which are part of the Laser contract, bill validation forms part of the contract.
Water
10. Do you buy water and wastewater for these schools? If so, who is the supplier, when does the contract end, and how was it procured?
No. DCC does not do this. This is the responsibility of individual schools.
Responsibility
11. What is the job title of the person responsible for buying utilities for schools?
Senior Procurement and Contracts Officer