MSE News: Green energy tariffs to be investigated over fears suppliers exaggerate green credentials

MSE_Helen_K

A review into green electricity tariffs is to be launched by the government following concerns energy suppliers could be exaggerating their environmental benefits...

Read the full story (apologies, this Forum post is slightly late as the news story was published late on Sunday 15 Aug):

'Green energy tariffs to be investigated over concerns suppliers are exaggerating their environmental benefits'

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Swipe

Not sure about anyone else, but the price and customer service are the only things I care about when when my current fixed rate tariff expires and I switch to a new supplier.

oldagetraveller1

It's all distributed through the National Grid anyway. For those who think having a "green" supplier means their electricity is from renewable sources, think again. It could be from a number of generators. Coal, gas, oil, nuclear etc.!

UnclaimedEnergy

Most people buying green energy know this, and most proper green suppliers don't hide from this fact.

However, theoretically, lets say two companies make a bottle of water, half coming from a supplier who fills it with dirty water, half coming from a supplier who fills it up with pure evian water.

You can choose to only pay one of the 2 suppliers though... however whichever one you pay, you still get the same half dirty bottle of water.

Would you choose to pay the supplier putting the dirty water or clean water into the bottle?

It's very easy to say "it all comes from the grid". However some of what you pay will be margin to suppliers. Some will use that margin to further non-green ventures. Others will use it to persure trying to make the world a better place environmentally.

How green their tariffs are is an indication of which supplier is doing which.

niktheguru

UnclaimedEnergy said:

Most people buying green energy know this, and most proper green suppliers don't hide from this fact.

However, theoretically, lets say two companies make a bottle of water, half coming from a supplier who fills it with dirty water, half coming from a supplier who fills it up with pure evian water.

You can choose to only pay one of the 2 suppliers though... however whichever one you pay, you still get the same half dirty bottle of water.

Would you choose to pay the supplier putting the dirty water or clean water into the bottle?

It's very easy to say "it all comes from the grid". However some of what you pay will be margin to suppliers. Some will use that margin to further non-green ventures. Others will use it to persure trying to make the world a better place environmentally.

How green their tariffs are is an indication of which supplier is doing which.

By looking at these forums, a large proportion will choose the supplier who's the cheapest!

You do make a fair point for those customers who are environmentally conscious though. I would argue a higher proportion of people than you think believe that a green supplier means all the energy pumped into their home is "green" rather than it being grid energy.

molerat

....... concerns energy suppliers could be exaggerating their environmental benefits ........

No xxxx Sherlock !!