Shares surged in Lancashire-based Bglobal, which supplies smart meters to help businesses monitor their energy consumption and reduce their bills, after the company announced a £3m deal. Bglobal, which has its headquarters in Blackburn, said it had won a contract for meters and data collection services with Opus Energy, which supplies electricity to small and medium-sized firms and larger corporates. The news prompted a 5.2 per cent rise in Bglobal’s shares. They rose 2p to 40.5p. In a stock market statement, Bglobal said Opus was planning a fast rollout of the service and has begun installing the first batch of 5,000 meters. Tony Stiff, commercial director at Bglobal, said: “This contract provides further endorsement of the financial benefits and associated environmental advantages of using smart meters. “Opus Energy is taking an innovative approach by providing their meters for free and this represents a landmark agreement in the industry.” Opus has more than 40,000 customers, including Deloitte, Yell and Thorntons. It is based in Oxford and Northampton.