A Costcutter retailer in Southport is reaping the rewards of signing up to British Gas’ Business Energy Insight initiative.

Douglas Fawcett-Brown joined the new scheme, which allows customers to monitor energy usage via an online smart meter, in February after an audit estimated he could shave £930 a year off his energy bills by replacing outdated light fittings.

However, just four months in, Fawcett-Brown said savings so far had been much higher, and he was on track to cut £2,400, or 22%, from his annual bill.

“I knew my store used a lot of electricity, but I didn’t know how to go about changing it,” he said. “I’m really pleased to have saved so much.”