Ecotricity named ‘Best Green Energy Company’ by vegan charity

Viva! - the UK’s first vegan campaigning charity which is celebrating 25 years of campaigning, is also celebrating those at the forefront of the vegan movement and presenting them with a Viva! 25th Anniversary Award.

Ecotricity was presented with two awards by Viva! Patrons Peter Egan and Jerome Flynn. The Stroud-based green energy supplier received the ‘Award for Outstanding Loyalty & Commitment as a Business Partner’ and the ‘Award for Excellence and Innovation: Best Green Energy Company.

The awards are voted for by Viva!’s supporters and staff and are split into four main categories; Action for Animals, Award for Outstanding Achievements for Veganism, Award for Outstanding Loyalty & Commitment as a Business Partner and Award for Excellence and Innovation.

Viva!’s founder and director, Juliet Gellatley, said: “We are really proud to present our awards to so many people working incredibly hard, both individually and in a variety of businesses, to promote veganism. Their collective achievements are phenomenal and inspirational.”

Ecotricity has partnered with Viva! for over a decade and has raised  £18,000 for Viva!’s farmed animal investigation campaigns.

Many consumers are unaware that most energy suppliers, even green energy companies, use waste from farms and slaughterhouses to convert into energy. Ecotricity avoids this, making it the world's only officially vegan energy supplier, certified vegan by both The Vegan Society and Viva!.

Dale Vince, founded Ecotricity in 1995 as the world’s first green energy company and they are now the greenest energy company in Britain, supplying 100% green electricity and carbon neutral gas to over 200,000 customers. Uniquely,  Ecotricity operates a model whereby they use customers’ energy bills to fund the building of new sources of green energy – including windmills, sunmills and soon, gasmills.

Dale then went onto launch Forest Green Rovers, the world’s first vegan football team. The successful team spreads the message of sustainability to the world of sport and sells 100% vegan food, including vegan burgers and pies, at their ground in Nailsworth, Gloucestershire.

More recently Ecotricty have created Ecotalk, a green mobile phone service powered by 100% green electricity. Profit from this venture is used to buy land to give back to nature, creating vital new habitats for bees and other wildlife.

Dale Vince, founder and director of Ecotricity, said: “We’ve been Partners with Viva! and fans of their work for a long time and it’s a real honour to accept these awards.  Their recognition has meaning because of the work they themselves do to end the brutality and injustice of animal farming.   Thank you Viva! and keep up the great work.”