In the swim with Ecotricity!

29th March 2000
From 1st April the Cotswold Water Park's new Millennium visitor & education Centre, and Dursley Swimming Pool will be turning 'green' with electricity supplied by Stroud based 'green' electricity company Ecotricity. Not only is this better for the environment it doesn't cost any more than conventional 'brown' electricity.

The £200,000 Centre at Keynes Park is due to be opened officially on 1st May by David Bellamy. It will provide a focal point for the Cotswold Water Park and an 'all weather' base for visitors. The Park is of national nature conservation importance for wintering and breeding wetland birds. Being powered by Ecotricity further augments the sustainability of the building, which has been designed in harmony with the lake, appearing to 'float' over the water.

Dursley Swimming Pool was built by Stroud District Council in 1988 and officially opened by Princess Anne. The 25 metre leisure pool is visited by an average 150,000 people per annum and the switch to Ecotricity is saving around 750 tonnes of Carbon Dioxide emissions per year! The Council's headquarters at Ebley Mill, Stroud, have been eco-powered for nearly three years, saving over 3,200 tonnes of Carbon Dioxide emissions.

Ecotricity is the UK's first and largest 'green' electricity company and customers include Gloucestershire County Council, Cheltenham & Gloucester College of Higher Education, the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust, the Millennium Dome, Co-operative Bank and WWF-UK.

Commenting on the decision to go 'green':

"Stroud District Council is recognised as being one of the most environmentally friendly councils and we are pleased to have possibly one of the first leisure centres to use electricity produced from renewable sources." - Fiona Hammond, Manager, Dursley Pool.

"We knew about Ecotricity and approached them immediately when looking for an electricity supplier. It is important for us to achieve the highest standards in sustainability and using electricity from 'green' sources is an excellent way to achieve real environmental benefit. Ecotricity is also very competitive and is not costing us any more than conventional electricity." - Roger Brown, Chief Executive, Cotswold Water Park.