25th April 2019
New data produced by the Green Gas Certification Scheme has shown that since 2017 there has been a thirteen-fold increase in the number of customers now being supplied with green gas in the UK
- Green gas could supply 10 million homes by 2050 (up to 149TwH)
- Green Energy UK – the first supplier to offer 100% green gas to consumers – achieved 209% growth
- Four fold increase in green gas production since 2015 now expected to be approximately producing 2.5TWh
- Production increasing with 60 biomethane plants that have been paid RHI in the UK
Green gas (or biomethane) is a type of gas created from biodegradable material, such as farm waste and food waste. Green gas is injected into the gas grid and then is used in the same way as natural gas for cooking and heating in the home. Green gas has a vital role to play helping the UK meet its de-carbonisation targets and has the potential to supply 10 million homes by 2050. There are a growing number of energy companies providing a proportion of green gas to households.
Doug Stewart, Managing Director of independent energy supplier, Green Energy UK, said: “As the first and still the only provider to supply 100% green gas to customers in the UK, I am delighted that there has been such a strong surge in demand for it. Since launching green gas two years ago, we have seen a 209% increase in customers wanting us to supply them with green gas. Green gas is not only better for the environment, but it means millions of tonnes of organic waste which would otherwise be sent to landfill, incinerated or simply left to rot gets put to good use heating our homes.”
Rt Hon Claire Perry MP, Energy & Clean Growth Minister at BEIS said: “Using food and farm waste to create greener gas means millions of people can continue to heat their homes and cook meals while cutting harmful emissions. Reducing our dependence on natural gas will help to tackle climate change, which is exactly why we have invested £656m in biomethane to scale up green gas.”
Dr Kiara Zennaro, Head of Biogas at the Renewable Energy Association (REA) said: “Green gas has a crucial role to play in the decarbonisation of heat and transport in the UK. Government support schemes have stimulated between £400m and £800m of investment in this low-carbon sector to date, facilitating the development of competitive supply chains, improving soil health, increasing farm productivity and reducing the amount of waste going to landfill
“The real strength of biogas is that it is an established and commercially ready technology and can therefore help the country deliver swift progress towards greening the grid. More and more energy companies are offering green gas tariffs and the Chancellor’s supportive statements about green gas in the Spring Statement show that its benefits are even being recognised at the top of Government.”
Jesse Scharf, Green Gas Certification Scheme, Scheme Manager said: “We’re very pleased to see so many households are now supporting green gas production in the UK. Together with the increasing number of businesses, small and large, that are also sourcing green gas they are creating an important drive towards greening our gas system.
Notes to Editors
Green Energy UK - Doug Stewart set up Green Energy UK in 2001. Green Energy UK has established themselves as a pioneer in energy services. In 2016, it was the first supplier to provide its customers with 100% green gas and was the first UK company to deliver a Time of Day Tariff - launched at the beginning of 2017. It is based in Ware, Hertfordshire.
REA Green Gas Certification Scheme - Green Gas Certification Scheme issues Renewable Gas Guarantees of Origin (RGGOs) for units of biomethane injected into the grid and securely tracks them through to gas consumers who are provided with a Green Gas Certificate that can be used as evidence of their biomethane use. The GGCS is the UK’s largest biomethane registry both by sales and production capacity of its members.
Source of figures
The following figures were supplied by the Green Gas Certification Scheme:
- Estimated one million homes supplied with green gas at the start of 2019, a 150% increase since 2018.
- Since 2017 there has been a thirteen-fold increase in the number of customers now being supplied with green gas in the UK: hitting the 1 million homes mark for the first during 2019. 75,000 customers originally in 2017 - https://www.greengas.org.uk/news/green-gas-certification-scheme-2016-annual-report-and-2017-market-update.
- o Four fold increase in green gas production since 2015 with GGCS members expected to product approximately 2.5TWh of biomethane in 2019.
- Production increasing with 60 biomethane plants that have been paid RHI in the UK.
The following figure was supplied by Cadent: Green gas could supply 10 million homes by 2050 (up to 149TwH) -https://cadentgas.com/about-us/the-future-role-of-gas/renewable-gas-potential