Renewable energy

Markdavid1962

Just a thought and a question. I am with SO Energy and was just looking at their website and they claim "100% of the electricity we supply is from renewable sources." 
So I know prices are high as we are importing Gas/Oil etc (to generate electricity) but couldnt we have a lower price for renewable energy, if SO Energy are 100% renewable based then they must be making a killing. Could we have a tier system for payments ie Renewable generated energy £x and imported £y, maybe as a percentage   it would also be a good way to track the investment the energy firms are making in to renewables as the balance should shift overtime to renewables

doodling

Hi,

In short, no.

Two reasons why:

1. Electricity is sold by generators in two ways, either through long term contract or on the spot market.  In general renewable generators cannot sell via long term contracts as they cannot guarantee to have any electricity to sell so they sell on the spot market. Electricity sold on the spot market is priced at the cost of the most expensive generator at that time (generally gas) because if a cheaper generator decided to stop generating, what would you pay? - that sets the value.

2. You are not buying 100% renewable electricity - if you were then you'd be sitting in the cold and dark when the wind didn't blow at night in winter.  Sorry if that spoils a carefully crafted illusion.

Many renewable generators are making a killing because of the high price of gas and consequent high value of electricity but hitting them with a windfall (no pun intended!) tax iwould probably upset the environmental lobby.

Paulscarbs

I feel the same way at the OP.

If claiming 100% renewable to customers, then that’s disingenuous in my books. I pay Scottish Power for 100% renewable electricity, so the energy supplied to me should be just that.

Renewable is sustainable through wind, waves or solar and should not rely on only one source.

I feel the energy companies are taking our money because they can.

Ectophile

There are sources of renewable energy other than wind and solar.  Wood-fired power is controversial, but classed as renewable.  There's even things like generation using methane from chicken poo.

There are two sorts of "green" electricity:-

• The sort where, hour by hour, they buy enough renewables to cover what their customers are using, and
• Ones that buy generation certificates from the renewable generators.  The number of certificates they buy will match the amount of electricity they sold.  But the renewable energy could actually have been bought by another supplier, and your supplier bought coal-fired power from time to time.

Of course, with a big grid, noboby can tell where the electrons you use came from.  All the suppliers can do is pay for the right amount of electricity to match what the customers use.

Paulscarbs

I accept what you write, but if a client pays for renewable electricity, that’s what they should be billed for - regardless of where it came from.

QrizB

Paulscarbs said:

I accept what you write, but if a client pays for renewable electricity, that’s what they should be billed for - regardless of where it came from.

Here, on Scottish Power's own website:

https://www.scottishpower.co.uk/greenwashing

RobM99

2. You are not buying 100% renewable electricity - if you were then you'd be sitting in the cold and dark when the wind didn't blow at night in winter.  

Apart from power stations that burn wood.

Paulscarbs

RobM99, the earth’s resources don’t cease to perform when it gets dark!

Paulscarbs

QrizB said:

Paulscarbs said:

I accept what you write, but if a client pays for renewable electricity, that’s what they should be billed for - regardless of where it came from.

Here, on Scottish Power's own website:

https://www.scottishpower.co.uk/greenwashing

Yes, with the final sentence which states:
At ScottishPower, all our domestic green tariffs are backed by 100% green electricity, generated by our windfarms right here in the UK.

A._Badger

Paulscarbs said:

QrizB said:

Paulscarbs said:

I accept what you write, but if a client pays for renewable electricity, that’s what they should be billed for - regardless of where it came from.

Here, on Scottish Power's own website:

https://www.scottishpower.co.uk/greenwashing

Yes, with the final sentence which states:
At ScottishPower, all our domestic green tariffs are backed by 100% green electricity, generated by our windfarms right here in the UK.

"Backed by" Weasel words. Completely meaningless.

mcwiltshire

Markdavid1962 said:

Just a thought and a question. I am with SO Energy and was just looking at their website and they claim "100% of the electricity we supply is from renewable sources." 
So I know prices are high as we are importing Gas/Oil etc (to generate electricity) but couldnt we have a lower price for renewable energy, if SO Energy are 100% renewable based then they must be making a killing. Could we have a tier system for payments ie Renewable generated energy £x and imported £y, maybe as a percentage   it would also be a good way to track the investment the energy firms are making in to renewables as the balance should shift overtime to renewables

 are so energy in trouble? unable to contact by phone.