New Green Energy UK Tariff

30 September 2019

New greener gas and electricity tariff launched by Green Energy UK Raises the bar for the energy supply industry

• Green Energy launches new EKOenergy green energy tariff for residential customers

• New tariff adheres to EKOenergy’s strict environmental criteria - the first domestic energy supplier in the UK to do so

• A fully verifiable tariff that addresses climate change AND the wider environmental impacts of energy production: sourced from 100% renewable energy schemes that protect birds’ natural habitats, safeguard fish migration and don’t use energy generated from crops

• Green Energy UK to support the EKOenergy Climate Fund, investing in new renewable energy projects around the world

• New green energy tariff launched to provide customers with greater clarity and independent verification

With effect from October 1st 2019, Green Energy UK will be selling, what it believes is the greenest and cleanest energy to residential customers in the UK. Branded Green Energy EKOenergy, it is another market-first by Green Energy UK, which has been supplying green energy to its customers since 2001. Green Energy UK was the first energy supplier in the UK to offer its customers green electricity and green gas and then, using smart meters, offer its customers a domestic Time of Use tariff.

While Green Energy’s tariffs are all green, the EKOenergy gas and electricity tariff is setting a new standard for the UK energy industry. The tariff will go beyond fighting emissions and address the other wider impacts to the environment to ensure species such as birds and fish are protected.

Green Energy UK is introducing its EKOenergy tariff that is clearer to understand and which follows strict environmental criteria and an independent verification process. Recent research conducted by Opinium, commissioned by Green Energy UK, found that energy consumers find terminology used by suppliers to describe green electricity and gas to be confusing:

• 50% of people are confused by terms such as “100% green bought with renewable offsets”

• 58% of people do not understand terms such as “Green electricity bought using independently verified certificates”

Green Energy UK assessed the market in the UK and across Europe to find an organisation that would provide its customers with enhanced environmental verification standards and greater transparency. EKOenergy provides this level of assurance.

EKOenergy is a non-profit organisation that fights climate change, protects biodiversity and helps achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development goals. EKOenergy is also the only international ecolabel for renewable energy and is backed by over 40 NGOs across Europe and the UK.

A UK first for EKOenergy, Green Energy UK is offering residential customers 100% renewable energy that meets EKOenergy’s strict environmental criteria and will donate to EKOenergy’s Climate Fund. The Climate Fund is used to finance new renewable energy and environmental projects around the world.

Doug Stewart, CEO of Green Energy UK said: “To those people who want to make a particular stand for the environment and the climate change emergency, and go one step further, we’ve introduced Green Energy EKOenergy, offering residential customers 100% green energy, with independent verification. We consider this is the first step in our journey to converting all our energy over to these higher standards.”

“There is a growing demand for environmental products in response to such things as Blue Planet and Extinction Rebellion; our research found that 74% of energy customers who have chosen a green tariff say that they buy green tariffs because they are committed to improving the environment. With our EKOenergy tariff, we are making it easier for our customers to make a bigger difference by using the EKOenergy tariff.”

“We are all on a challenging journey towards net zero. I have been committed to supplying green energy for 18 years. However, EKOenergy is a significant additional move on our part. We know that we need to do more in order to live net zero lives - within our business and with our business partners. But it’s a global problem that won’t be resolved in isolation. We know that our customers want us to do more, and we hope that they and prospective customers will take notice of this initiative.”

“We are setting a new benchmark for green energy supply in the UK. Whilst we all focus on climate change, it can be easy to forget that there are the other wider environmental impacts of energy production that also need to be addressed. This why we are delighted that EKOenergy has endorsed Green Energy UK.”

“Customers who switch to Green Energy’s EKOenergy will help fulfil their aspirations to lead a more carbon-free and sustainable life. At the same time, via the EKOenergy Climate Fund, customers can help and invest in new renewable energy projects in remote communities in developing countries.”

Steven Vanholme, Programme Manager at EKOenergy said: “We are very happy that our non-profit ecolabel is now available in the UK and delighted to be starting a cooperation with Green Energy UK, who have been an inspiring trailblazer for many years in the renewable energy sector.”

“As concern about the climate crisis increases, a growing number of companies and households are looking to take action. Our ecolabel guides consumers to the best available and most sustainable energy tariffs in a growing number of countries. Users of EKOenergy-labelled energy include thousands of families and SMEs elsewhere in Europe, as well as large international companies such as SAP and Tetra Pak. We are looking forward to an exciting cooperation in the UK too.” Gabby Mallett, Director of Operations, National Energy Foundation said: “We welcome the launch of a true green energy, delivered by Green Energy UK, and certified by EKOenergy. Delivering greener energy is vital to helping businesses and home owners to reduce the environmental impact of energy use in buildings across the UK. Pioneering certification schemes such as EKOenergy are key to providing confidence to energy customers that the energy they are buying is 100% renewable and delivers additional environmental benefits.”

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Kate Hinton kate@taylorkeogh.com / mobile 07714 708416

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Notes to Editors

Green Energy UK has established themselves as a pioneer in energy services. Established in 2001, it is the only energy supplier to provide customers with a 100% green energy offering for both electricity and gas. It was the first UK company to offer customers a Time of Day Tariff - launched at the beginning of 2017.

EKOenergy is an international ecolabel for electricity and gas. In addition to being renewable, the energy sold with the EKOenergy label fulfills additional sustainability criteria and finances projects that combat energy poverty. This way, the EKOenergy ecolabel brings additionality to renewable energy certificates such as Guarantees of Origin (GOs), RECs and I-RECs. The label is a not-for-profit initiative of the EKOenergy Network, with 40 environmental organisations across Europe endorsing EKOenergy’s sustainability criteria: https://www.ekoenergy.org/about-us/members/ Those who buy EKOenergy ecolabelled energy also contribute to their Climate Fund which invests in renewable energy projects in developing countries.

Please see link to the list all the projects funded by the Climate Fund in 2019:

https://www.ekoenergy.org/our-results/climate-fund/ongoing-climate-fund-projects/

The National Energy Foundation provides a wide range of information and practical advice to help improve energy use in buildings. They provided secretariat services to the Green Energy Supply Certification Schemes that was launched in 2010 to provide assurance to UK consumers that certified green tariffs met key principles set out by Ofgem. Once the scheme was withdrawn they were the first environmental organisation in the UK to support EKOenergy’s certification scheme.

Green Energy’s gas and electricity supply fulfils the following EKOenergy criteria:

• 100% renewable: only electricity and gas from renewable sources can be sold as Green Energy EKOenergy. This includes hydropower, wind, solar and biomethane gas. The energy is 100% renewable with no offsets and strict environmental criteria.

• Beyond 100% renewables: Green Energy EKOenergy has strict sustainability criteria for power producers that deliver lower CO2 emissions and are sustainable and nature friendly;

o wind and solar farms are built outside of areas recognised as important bird habitats.

o Green Energy EKOenergy will only supply green gas sourced from waste i.e. waste from agriculture or forestry rather than from energy crops (i.e. plants grown specifically for the purpose of creating biomethane gas) and therefore does not jeopardise food security or social justice. Biomethane gas also has a much lower impact on climate change compared to natural gas**

o Green Energy’s EKOenergy-labelled hydropower would come from installations that safeguard a continuous flow of water, marine habitats, take into account fish migration and leave suitable habitats for aquatic species.

• Funding climate projects and leading to real change: Green Energy EKOenergy will pay into EKOenergy’s Climate Fund. This money is used to finance renewable energy projects in remote communities of developing countries. One recently completed project, for example, in the rural Andean region of Apurimac (Peru) saw the installation of solar panels, the provision of electronic education equipment and the development of water and sanitation facilities in 9 schools.

• Verification: every unit of Green Energy EKOenergy supplied to customers can be traced back to its origin (via REGOs and RGGOs) and is independently verified by EKOenergy

Green Energy commissioned Opinium Research to conduct a survey amongst 2,006 adults across the UK between 23 and 27 August 2019. Key findings from the research:

• 74% of green energy customers say that they buy renewable tariffs because they are committed to improving the environment

• 50% of people are confused by terms such as 100% green bought with renewable offsets

• 58% of people do not understand terms such as Green electricity bought using independently verified certificates

• 65% of people do not understand the term “net zero”

• Over a third of the population (36%) doesn’t understand what an energy company means by green electricity and green gas

• 46% are willing to pay more for renewable energy, with 28% willing to pay up to £50 more per annum

Why green gas has a lower impact on climate change, compared to natural gas Green gas (or biomethane) is created from organic material, such as farm waste and food waste through a process called anaerobic digestion (AD). The biomethane produced during AD is burned as fuel, instead of waste methane being released directly into the atmosphere

Left to degrade in landfill, the same waste would dissipate methane, a greenhouse gas 23 times more potent than CO2 into the atmosphere. The harvesting and use of biomethane removes this waste from the cycle and puts it to use when it is injected into the gas grid and used as a substitute for natural gas for cooking and heating in the home. It 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.

Sources of further information on green gas –

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-bad-of-a-greenhouse-gas-is-methane/

http://www.biogas-info.co.uk/about/faqs/