The UK-based electricity and gas supplier brand, Utilita Energy has secured a naming rights deal with the English cricket county club, Hampshire Cricket.
With this development, Hampshire Bowl has now been renamed Utilita Bowl, earlier, the stadium was known as the Ageas Bowl.
LET’S HEAR IT FOR THE @UtilitaBowl 🔊
— Utilita (@UtilitaEnergy) January 19, 2024
We're excited to announce our partnership with iconic Hampshire ground & look forward to working towards their ambition to become the greenest cricket venue in the world 🌍🏏
Learn more at https://t.co/T6edkHmTXV pic.twitter.com/hTpq5nO0k7
Through this partnership, the recently renamed Utilita Bowl has an ambitious goal to become the world’s greenest international cricket stadium while encouraging guests to conserve energy. This venue has a unique relationship with sustainability.
The first of many phases in this pro-planet collaboration will involve the installation of over 1,000 solar panels, which can produce more than 25% of the stadium’s annual electricity consumption, more than enough to cover matchday electricity consumption.
The installation of this solar array will save the venue thousands of dollars annually in electricity bills and 80 tonnes of carbon emissions, which is equivalent to driving 301,855 miles in an average passenger car.
Under the terms of the multi-year arrangement, Utilita Bowl will stage 19 international cricket matches between 2025 and 2031, marking a significant moment in the venue’s history. This comprises a women’s Ashes Test in 2031 as well as a men’s Ashes Test in 2027.
David Mann, CEO at Utilita Bowl, said, “We’re delighted to partner with Utilita, a Hampshire based business who share our values and can now help shape our vision of creating the greenest international cricket venue in the world.”
He further stated, “As two organisations who already play a major role in helping to add value to our local communities through our respective foundations, together we can extend our efforts even further at a time when this help is needed more than ever. This is the dawn of a new era for the venue, and we’re excited by the possibilities this partnership will offer.”
Bill Bullen, CEO at Utilita, commented, “The cheapest and greenest energy is the energy we don’t use, and that’s exactly what this partnership is designed to do – cut energy usage. This support doesn’t stop at the venue itself but is extended to the over half a million visitors who walk through its doors each year. We will work closely with the venue to ensure they lead the way in becoming more sustainable across all aspects of their operations: from travel and match days, to the day-to-day running of the ground and any ancillary developments. This truly is a unique, first-of-its-kind partnership in British sport.”
George Walters, Chief Home Services Officer at Utilita, said, “Solar is the one of the most effective ways that a business can reduce its reliance on using electricity from the National Grid, of which around half is still generated using dirty fossil fuels. The solar array at Utilita Bowl will generate 381,829kwh per year, which is a reduction in carbon emissions equivalent to a standard car driving the length of the UK 360 times – a total of 301,855 miles. Solar is just the first step in enabling the venue to become net zero.”
He also expressed, “This partnership will benefit from the learnings, results and innovations created by Utilita’s own journey towards becoming a net zero business by 2030 – the most ambitious target across the UK retail energy sector.”