0942 – Supply of Electricity and Gas utilities to Essex County Council

Essex County Council is responsible for procuring energy for its core estate and infrastructure – this includes circa 250 operational buildings (including offices, libraries, children’s centres, youth and respite centres, country parks), highways, street lighting and other infrastructure. The number of operational buildings is expected to reduce as the Council’s estate rationalisation programme progresses. The Council has a mix of electricity (half hourly and non-half hourly) and gas meters for its sites and infrastructure.

The Council has procured flexible supply contracts for 2 lots – Lot 1 Electricity and Lot 2 Gas and via an Open procedure procurement exercise. Each Lot was awarded to a single supplier for the contract duration. Each contract will be for an initial term of 3 years (commencing 1st October 2022), with an option to extend for up to a further 3 years, at the Council’s discretion.

Bidders are Ofgem licensed energy suppliers and offer flexible supply contracts, which encompasses the ability to forward purchase the commodity element via a trading desk using OTC (Over the counter) after the contract has been completed. In addition, bidders for Lot 1 Electricity must: (i) be able to provide sleeving arrangements under which any renewable electricity sourced from off-site renewable generators can potentially be included at an additional cost in the electricity supply contract should the Council choose to do so at a later date; and (ii) provide REGO (Renewable Energy Guarantees of Origin) backed renewable energy across the electricity portfolio.