WYCOMBE District Council is to switch from its present energy supply to renewable sources following the introduction of the climate change levy.

The Government introduced the energy tax on April 1 to reduce industrial emissions. It applies only to electricity produced by fossil fuels and not to electricity produced by renewable sources.

The district council has been in negotiations with London Electricity, which supplies electricity to its main offices in Queen Victoria Road, High Wycombe, with a view to changing supply.

A contract to provide electricity from those sources, such as wind, solar and water, is due to be signed by the council and Southern Electricity this month.

A spokesman for the council said using renewable fuels would reduce greenhouse gases.

He said: "Once the district council has changed supply to use renewably sourced electricity we will not need to pay the levy, and will therefore be saving money."

The spokesman added that the main offices in Queen Victoria Road account for 40 per cent of the total amount of energy that the council uses.

News of the contract comes as the council marked its support of the Thames Valley Renewable Energy Agency (TV Energy), set up with European funding to develop renewable energy in the region. The agency is due to be launched later this year.