The Evening Times is helping to keep the lights on across Scotland through a new partnership with an energy firm.

This newspaper, along with sister titles across the Herald and Times Group, has joined forces with electricity aggregator Flexitricity.

The new venture will allow National Grid access to the publisher's back up generators during times of peak demand for electricity.

In return, the firm is set to secure new revenue worth up to £250,000 over five years, with no impact on ordinary day-to-day business.

Stuart McLean, print centre manager at Herald and Times Group, said: “We had previously been unaware of demand response and hadn’t realised its merits in terms of generating new revenue for our business.

"Our back-up generators - which are kept to ensure our newspaper titles including the Herald and Evening Times always go to print, even in a blackout – are now being utilised as an energy asset, helping to support Scotland’s energy security through this essential service.

“What’s more, the revenue generated will be invested in new projects within the business, helping to support jobs and growth in Scotland’s media industry.”

By connecting to Flexitricity’s network, the Herald and Times Group will also be participating in the Capacity Market – the UK Government scheme designed to secure new sources of energy generation over the coming years.

Ron Ramage, Chief Executive Officer at Flexitricity, said: “The Herald and Times Group is a very welcome addition to our Scottish Energy Partner portfolio, where we’ve been ambitious to grow as a business.

“Publishing is an extremely competitive sector where small margins can make a huge difference.

"By connecting to our network, companies like The Herald and Times Group have the opportunity to avoid costs and significantly boost their revenue with no adverse impact on their day-to-day business.

“Similarly, those partners with on-site generation capability could be called upon to deliver additional power for short periods.

"It’s a fully automated service with 24/7 monitoring available to all our Energy Partners from our Edinburgh based control room.”