Direct economic impacts relate to money that we receive or spend as a direct result of our business activities. Below, we provide a summary of some of the main economic highlights of our performance in 2006:

• Turnover: £8,569 million
• Operating costs: £7,731 million
• Payments to employees: £438 million (including wages and salaries and pensions)
• Donations made: £30,000
• Community investment: £2.5 million
• Payments to capital providers: zero
• Payments to Governments: £101 million (includes corporation tax, VAT and National Insurance contributions)
• Payments to suppliers: £975 million

We received a number of grants over the course of the year, including a grant from the Department for Trade and Industry (DTI) of £100,000 in relation to our Scroby Sands wind farm. In addition, our new biomass plant at Steven's Croft near Lockerbie received £6.2 million from The Big Lottery Fund.