Surrey County Council hangs up on old phone contract to make nearly £800,000 saving on its phone bill (From Redhill And Reigate Life)

Surrey County Council hangs up on old phone contract to make nearly £800,000 saving on its phone bill

2:15pm Tuesday 9th October 2012 in News

Surrey County Council has slashed nearly £800,000 from its phone bill after driving a harder bargain with its mobile phone supplier.

The council said tough negotiating has led to a two-year deal being awarded to Orange, which represents a £795,000 saving on the previous contract.

The £1 million contract allows minutes, text and internet time to be shared, meaning staff who have reached their limit can have a colleague’s unused allowance.

The hefty saving comes after the authority revealed that its three-year efficiency programme of public value reviews had uncovered total savings of £280 million to be made by 2016.

Surrey County Council’s cabinet member for change and efficiency, Denise Le Gal, said: “Just as we all look for value for money and the tariff that suits our needs when we get our own mobiles, the council has ensured it is continuing to get the best possible deal for Surrey taxpayers.

“The contract with Orange means saving nearly £800,000 while making sure that our staff continue to have the right technology to do their jobs effectively.”