United Utilities Scoops Top National Award

With Photo

United Utilities has scooped the top national award for responsible business practice. The organisation, which keeps the taps flowing and loos flushing for seven million customers in the North West as well as operating and maintaining electricity and gas networks, has won the coveted Business in the Community (BITC) Company of the Year Award.

HRH The Prince of Wales, President of BITC, hosted the Awards for Excellence ceremony at a garden party reception at his Clarence House home. Only seven companies were eligible to enter the ultimate Company of the Year award category. All had to have achieved the 'Platinum + 'standard in BITC's corporate responsibility index.

The annual Awards for Excellence recognise companies' corporate responsibility business practices and programmes. Now in their 12th year, they are the UK's most respected awards for responsible business practice.

Philip Green, Chief Executive of United Utilities said: "I am honoured that the breadth of our company's environmental and social commitment has been given such significant recognition."

The Awards for Excellence are peer-assessed by a panel of more than 100 independent business and BITC partner representatives. Judges look for qualities such as high quality management of responsible business practices and a positive impact on society and the environment.

Stephen Howard, Chief Executive, Business in the Community said: "I am delighted that United Utilities have been awarded Business in the Community's Company of the Year. It's fantastic to see one of our longest serving members achieve the highest accolade we can give them for their outstanding commitment to responsible business practise and the communities they serve.

"United Utilities is playing a major leadership role in the climate change agenda with Philip Green chairing our environment leadership team. All of us at BITC are excited about working with them over the coming year and seeing this leadership role develop further."

Among areas of United Utilities' operations which impressed the panel were:

- Environmental leadership: pioneering project to turn biogas
      from sewage treatment into fuel for vehicles and in partnership with
      National Grid for export into the national gas grid; the creation of
      combined heat and power engines harvesting methane gas from sewage
      sludge to provide heat for treatment processes and electricity to run
      sewage works; working closely with its 400-strong supply chain to help
      them measure their own carbon footprint.

    - Community involvement: partnership with Groundwork Trust,
      creating environmental community projects; staff giving more than 20,000
      hours to volunteering projects; 18,000 pupils benefiting from the
      company's climate change education programmes; more than GBP11 million
      raised for Water Aid; engaging with vulnerable customers on debt issues

    - Sustainability: a pioneering GBP10 million programme to improve the
      condition of the Peak District and Trough of Bowland water catchment
      estates;the company's corporate governance and long-term planning model
      was also praised for setting a culture of remuneration and reward that
      is sustainable and looks to the long term, rather than rewarding quick
      wins.

Note to Editors:

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For further media information, contact: Shaun Robinson at United Utilities on
+44(0)1925-237088,* Shaun.Robinson@uuplc.co.uk. *All calls are recorded and may
be monitored.

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