A SWINDON-based power supply business has phased out its 500-strong fleet in favour of a cash-for-car scheme. Innogy, which runs the domestic power companies npower and Yorkshire Electricity, has only a handful of drivers still left in company cars, waiting for the change.

Contracts manager Gareth Williams said: 'Our accountants looked at the tax changes and decided this was best for employees and the company.' According to Williams, reaction to the shift has been positive.

He said: 'We have had very few problems. It depends on how the change is managed. Most of our employees have enjoyed the experience of going out to a dealer and buying whatever car they liked.' Williams reported that the majority of workers used their allowance to purchase cars independently, with only a few buying their current company car.

With an outsourced human resource department, employees have had to find their own insurance and Williams said Innogy's employees 'do miss their fleet cover', but claimed it had not caused difficulties. Because of the policy shift, Innogy has bought six Citroen C5s and four Xsaras as part of a new pool of cars for employees not in the cash-for-car plan. Williams said: 'Previously we used old company cars in the pool, but with the new policy, we have had to obtain cars for it.'