Civic entrepreneur launches new energy business in partnership with YPO

A civic entrepreneur who created UK Web in 1995 - one of Britain’s first internet companies - has launched a new energy company.

Peter Connolly, chairman of Yorkshire Design Group, has set up a mutual and municipal energy firm called MME to provide “fair for all” tariffs and challenge the dominant Big Six utility firm.

The new technology business is partnering with YPO, the Yorkshire-based purchasing organisation which buys goods and services including gas and electricity on behalf of more than 40 local authorities.

This new partnership is set to offer energy deals to hundreds of thousands of households and businesses.

Mr Connolly said: “We will be owned by our partners and be fair for all of our customers. The energy industry is one of the least trusted sectors in Britain and it is easy to see why.

“The cost of energy on your bill is between 30-40%. The rest is charges and overheads.

“We will be operating with new technology, lower costs and without the legacy IT systems of the Big Six, which are largely owned by foreign governments and investors. We will be cheaper, better and locally owned and we will create and support local jobs.”

MME obtained a licence for trading gas and electricity at the end of August, allowing it to buy direct from the wholesale energy markets. It will supply customers with smart meters to provide accurate information about energy usage and help them to save money.

MME has also developed a cloud-based software to put households and SMEs in charge of their bills. The newly launched company will offer the same tariffs for pay-as-you-go customers as credit billing customers.

MME is partnering with local authorities to offer gas and electricity to consumers and businesses in each area.

The partnership will generate profits for members in the form of a “mutual dividend” to reinvest in communities and help fund regeneration projects.

Local authorities and housing associations can provide qualified staff to install the meters, creating and saving jobs.

MME has appointed Annie Faulder as chief executive. She is an experienced interim executive at local authority and NHS organisations.

Simon Hill, managing director of Wakefield-based YPO, said: “YPO has been helping local authorities buy their own energy requirements competitively for many years. Those authorities are now interested in using that buying power for the benefit of their council tax payers and it makes sense for YPO to assist in this new initiative as well.

“As a successful commercial organisation, operating within the public sector, we are ideally placed to do so.”

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