27 May Spectrum tenant GAS hits savings milestone

Spectrum Business Park tenant has hit the significant milestone of helping firms make savings of more than £600,000 so far this year.

Following a surge in new business, Great Annual Savings Group (GAS), which launched a suite of six new services in April, has now revealed it helped companies make collective savings of £672,776.48 in 2016.

The organisation that took GAS to this notable milestone was the County Durham Furniture Help Scheme (CDFHS), which restores and repairs second-hand furniture and supplies it at affordable prices to low-income families. A registered charity, Ferryhill-based CDFHS also provides low-cost crockery, bedding, chairs and electrical goods and has developed a pioneering training and work placement programme that aims give people the skills to find a job. CDFHS has worked with GAS for some time, but the latest collaboration between the businesses has pushed GAS’ savings figure past the £600,000 milestone.

With GAS’s assistance over a number of years, CDFHS has saved £22,700, which has allowed the organisation to pass on cost savings to customers.

Steve Mitten, CEO at CDFHS, said: “The money that GAS has helped us to save has enabled us to make our household items more affordable for the people who really need them. We will continue to work with the company to identify other areas where we can reduce costs and improve our efficiency.

“Coupling the tangible cost-saving with advice, guidance, availability to bounce ideas off, support at meetings and pro-active participation, GAS’ service has been priceless.  Our work together has categorically helped CDFHS get where it is and allowed us to keep firm, demonstrable control over the costs we are passing on to our customers.”

The Seaham-based firm has assisted dozens of businesses including the Ramside Hall Hotel & Golf Club, which has already cut its energy bills by more than £60,000 by switching to more favourable electricity and gas contracts.

Bradley Groves, chief executive and chairman of Great Annual Savings Group, said: “We are proud to have hit this significant first quarter milestone. Businesses and organisations across the country are realising the importance of managing their variable business costs, especially in light of volatile wholesale prices, green taxes, insurance price hikes and uncertainty over security of future energy supplies.

“They are realising that cost control is becoming just as important as chasing turnover in this new age of austerity. In the case of CDFHS, our work has allowed the organisation to further improve what is a vitally important service to the local community.”

For further information about CDFHS, visit http://www.cdfhs.org.uk/ or call 01388 721 509. For further information about Great Annual Savings visit www.greatannualsavings.com.