Three Sixty says it is “focussed on growth” as the industry prepares for next month’s opening of the shadow market.

The company has already secured significant contracts in Scotland, such as Royal Mail Group and BT, and, according to Managing Director Robert Marrill, further growth is important.

The process of transferring the 90,000 strong Yorkshire Water business customer base to Three Sixty has begun, and will be formalised “when dues process has happened.”

However, Marrill also emphasised that growth is not the only important thing for the company.

Marrill commented: “We want to be leading the market. We want to be known for our thoughts, our ideas, our contribution.

“We don’t need to be the biggest, but we do want to be the best. We’re passionate about that.”

When questioned whether he had any concerns ahead of the market opening, Marrill said that he did not want to get “hung up” on different market features.

Marrill said his view is that they’ve got what they’ve got, and that they should make it work to the best of their abilities.

He added that, in time, things may need to change and the way the market is constructed is not “fit forever”.

“There are bound to be teething troubles as we go through shadow and market opening, but until you start playing in it, you don’t know what these will be,” he said.

“We’re very much about working with the market, rather than shouting about why it won’t work – that’s not our nature.”

Yorkshire Water set up the company earlier in the month ahead of the market being deregulated next year.

Three Sixty has a head office in Barnsley and a centre in Thornbury near Bradford. Staff are from Yorkshire Water and it is part of the Kelda Group.

The company will compete for business customers throughout the UK from next April.