Green Energy - Can anyone advise me?

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Permalink Reply by Kayla Ente on December 4, 2009 at 12:06pm

Hi Carey, the simplest way to start receiving green electricity is to switch your supplier. I would recommend either Ecotricity, who will supply 100% of your electricity from its wind farms, or Good Energy, who primarily purchase carbon credits in order to supply their green electricity. The others are not entirely green. EDF is just wrong (nuclear), same with E.ON. (although E.ON does have better retail prices for its gas than British Gas. I personally use Ecotricity and I think they are good, they appear to do the best they can given the barriers to wind that this government has constructed.

Hope this helps.

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Permalink Reply by Carey on December 19, 2009 at 8:23pm

Hello Kayla, thank you very much for taking the time to reply to my query. Very much appreciated. re E On - Climate Camp have recently focused actions against them becuase of their releiance upon coal...so, as i participated in that, cant really go with E ON!

Will get there in the end, Denny's info helps too. sooo complicated!!
With good wishes, Carey

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Permalink Reply by Denny on December 8, 2009 at 1:05pm

Hi Carey

Unfortunately, trying to understand the world of green energy tariffs is VERY complicated.

There is a good explanation of some of the different issues involved here - http://www.bbc.co.uk/bloom/actions/renewabletariff.shtml#quickjump.

There is also some info on the Consumer Focus website to help you compare the different tariffs - http://www.consumerfocus.org.uk/energy-help-advice/helping-househol....

In terms of your criteria:
- Good Energy is the only supplier to meet all of its electricity from 100% renewables (see this table here - tp://www.consumerfocus.org.uk/energy-help-advice/helping-households/green-tariffs/fuel-mix-disclosure). It also retires some of its Renewable Obligation Certificates (ROCs), which helps to force other energy companies to invest in renewables. Good Energy doesn't, however, invest in new renewables currently.
- Ecotricity, meanwhile, invests the most money per customer on developing new renewables. Ecotricity is also just about to start a 'dual fuel' tariff, where the gas element will eventually be met from biogas (from food waste etc) instead of natural gas. The dual fuel tariff will help keep the costs down, although it will still be more expensive than a regular dual fuel tariff deal - http://www.ecotricity.co.uk/news/green-gas-from-ecotricity-is-go!
As Lucy says, most of the other green tariffs aren't actually that green. All energy companies have to meet 10% of their electricity needs from renewables by 2010, either through actually using green electricity technology or through buying credits (ROCs). So most 'green tariffs' don't actually add to new investment on renewables because the companies selling them have to provide a certain % of energy from green sources anyway.

Hope that helps!

Denny

PS Like Lucy, I have gone for Ecotricity...

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Permalink Reply by Carey on December 19, 2009 at 8:19pm

hi Denny, thanks very much for your info, it really is big help. Very much appreciate you taking the time.
Carey

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