Green group remains upbeat

Oct 14 2009 By Karen Dent, The Journal

GREEN support group Eaga - best known for its Warm Front energy efficiency scheme - was set to deliver an upbeat statement at its annual general meeting in Newcastle today.

The Jesmond-based group, which employs more than 5,000 people - a third of them locally - says trading is in line with its expectations and it expects "to continue its growth and success" for the rest of its financial year.

Eaga announced record results last month, with sales of £739m and pre-tax profits of £47.5m for the 12 months to the end of May.

It said demand for its fuel poverty work is continuing to drive growth and the support it is providing for the digital TV switchover scheme is also expanding as it rolls out to the Granada TV region.

Eaga is continuing to benefit from the Government’s environmental agenda and its work with companies forced to become greener under the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (CERT) is helping to beat seasonal fluctuations in demand for its services.

It is continuing discussions with the big power companies and expects to start working with them on the new Community Energy Saving Programme (CESP) in the second half of its financial year.

Eaga, which has added 300 North East staff to its payroll in the last year, recently announced it is teaming up with Newcastle City Council to create a company aiming to land £45m worth of public sector contracts over the next two years.

The new organisation - called the Real Partnership and set to be based at the Tower in Gosforth - is expected to secure around 2,000 jobs and create hundreds more.