A contract worth around £4.8m in its first year to supply fuel cards to the Welsh public sector has been won by UK Fuels.

The company was appointed by the National Procurement Service (NPS) after a competitive procurement process to find a more cost-effective provider.

UK Fuels successfully won the business after it demonstrated it could deliver significant savings with its fuel cards. It provides fixed weekly pricing, rather than pump prices, and this gives a standard price across the whole of Wales.

CEO and founder of UK Fuels, Bill Holmes, said: 'It's a challenging time for the UK public sector and efficiency savings have become the catch-all answer for organisations like the NPS, blue light services and housing associations to ensure they can continue providing their vital services at reduced costs.

The NPS approached us as they were looking for a fuel card provider with the right products and services for their organisation. We listened to their needs and provided a solution that worked for them both now and in the future.'

As part of the initial phase, UK Fuels is supplying fuel cards for 17 NPS members and the body will be re-engaging with its remaining members later in 2016 with the recommendation that they consider moving to this solution.

The 17 participating organisations have around 4,000 fuel cards in circulation and purchased 3.8 million litres of diesel in 2014, which gave them an approximate spend of £4.8m.

Bill added: 'UK Fuels built its business 25 years ago on delivering savings through greater efficiency and so it is a great opportunity for us to help the organisations that keep this country going, while at the same time providing a better deal for the UK tax payer.'