Debenhams has signed a deal with Scottish Power to supply all its UK stores with electricity provided by wind power.

The two-year deal is one of several initiatives the retailer is undertaking to reduce its carbon footprint by cutting wastage and improving efficiency.

Under the deal, the retailer will be supplied with 35 MW of green energy a month – enough to light and heat 50,000 homes – from the Black Laws wind farm near Shotts, off the M8 Glasgow to Edinburgh motorway, which is pumped into the National Grid.

Debenhams retail operations director Nigel Palmer said: “This agreement to power our stores with 100 per cent green electricity is part of a long term strategy which reveals the commitment that Debenhams has in helping the environment. We are going about this in a systematic manner and looking at all aspects of our operations, from the way we deal with customers in stores to our distribution network.”

The deal is agreed on a flexible purchase basis, meaning Debenhams will be able to buy its electricity in set amounts at varying periods throughout the contract.

Debenhams has already launched a four-stage programme to encourage store managers and head office staff to cut down on the use of energy that has already seen savings.