Sopp and Sopp has won a five-year contract with Centrica to provide accident management, vehicle recovery and repair services for the entire Centrica/British Gas fleet of some 13,000 vehicles.

The Peterborough-based firm, part of Activate Group, was selected partly on the basis of its strong track record of innovation.

Fully integrated with existing Centrica providers, the Sopp and Sopp in-house accident management system includes an expanding array of smart features - all aimed at minimising vehicle off-road times and driving efficiency.

It also allows real-time tracking (including costs and images) at every stage up to the point at which the vehicle is back on the road.

It will service the Centrica fleet with a dedicated ring-fenced team operating 24/7, 365 days a year. 

Working in partnership with vehicle leasing and maintenance provider Hitachi Capital Vehicle Solutions and other existing Centrica partners, Sopp and Sopp says it will be driving down hire costs, maximising surplus vehicle utilisation, and taking advantage of servicing downtime to carry out repairs.

Centrica head of fleet Steve Winter said: “Competitive pricing and the right SLAs are important of course, but we were looking for something different, and we found that in Sopp and Sopp.

“As we strive to maximise efficiency and work towards our goal of operating a high proportion EV fleet, we need capable and creative partners like Sopp and Sopp on our team.”

Sopp and Sopp commercial director Callum Langan added: “We’re delighted to have been selected by Centrica to provide a 21st century vehicle accident management service for the UK’s third largest fleet.

“We look forward to working closely with the Centrica team and their partners to minimise VOR times and maximise efficiency.”