How green is your energy tariff?
A recent examination of the UK energy sector by the independent consumer body Which? commented as follows:
“A third of customers believe that if an energy tariff is marked ‘green’ or ‘renewable’ then they expect to get 100% renewable electricity supplied to their home. Another 11% expect that the supplier generates some of the renewable electricity it sells, and 8% expect that it generates all of it.
But it’s not technically possible for renewable power to be directed to your home unless you have a direct line to a generator (solar panels on your roof, for example). The electricity you use at home to power your appliances is the same as your neighbour’s, regardless of the tariff you’re on, if it’s delivered from the grid.
It’s not possible to direct ‘renewable’ electrons to some homes and ‘non-renewable’ electrons to others. Electricity is generated from a variety of different sources, including 39.5% from renewables . But it’s all mixed together in the National Grid, which is the distribution system for electricity.”
So how do you choose an energy supplier if you want to be a genuinely green consumer? You can find the Which? rating of different companies here.
I am a customer of Good Energy which has the highest green rating. You might want to think of switching.