A Northamptonshire estate says it has cut its energy costs by 17 per cent after switching to electricity sourced directly from UK-based renewable generators.

Courteenhall Estate has moved to a service provided by energy transactions platform tem, which enables businesses to buy electricity directly from independent renewable generators rather than through the wholesale market.

The estate says the move has reduced its exposure to fluctuating wholesale energy prices, which have made costs increasingly unpredictable for rural businesses in recent years.

Dr Johnny Wake, managing partner at Courteenhall Estate, said: "It's shaking up an energy industry that, frankly, feels broken and in need of freeing up.

"From a farmer's point of view, that's exactly the kind of change we want to see. It's a model that should work to the benefit of farmers as well as households."

Courteenhall already generates much of its own electricity on site. Its solar installations produce more than 567,000kWh of electricity each year, supplying poultry housing, farm enterprises and tenant properties.

The estate also uses ground and air source heat pumps, biomass and solar thermal systems as part of its wider renewable energy strategy. Of the electricity it still needs to purchase, 72 per cent is now supplied through the new arrangement with tem.

The energy switch forms part of the estate's wider commitment to regenerative farming and sustainable land management.

Dr Wake said the same principles underpin future projects, including The Knot, a planned farm shop and restaurant which will, in part, be powered by renewable energy.

The estate is also preparing to launch The Good Food Plan across West Northamptonshire later this summer, an initiative aimed at encouraging healthier eating, strengthening communities and supporting locally produced food.