The availability of renewable energy sourced from solar, wind and hydro is quickly rising proper throughout Australia. At the identical time, shopper demand for merchandise which are sourced and produced with sustainability and the setting in thoughts can be on the rise.
This has fuelled the emergence of latest, inexperienced energy suppliers to fulfill shopper demand to scale back their family carbon footprint and assist do their bit as we transfer in direction of Net Zero carbon emissions. For households that may’t set up rooftop solar power methods, the very subsequent smartest thing is to buy energy from an environmentally-friendly electrical energy supplier.
But that isn’t as straightforward because it sounds as most of Australia’s energy manufacturing Is nonetheless closely skewed to fossil gasoline sources similar to coal and gasoline. In this text, we’ll take into account what makes an energy supplier inexperienced, find out how to assess the inexperienced credentials of an energy supplier and the price affect of selecting a inexperienced energy supplier.
We additionally embrace the definitive listing of Australia’s greenest energy firms as compiled by Greenpeace.
What is a inexperienced energy supplier?
Energy suppliers have to supply or create electrical energy to allow them to promote it to retail clients. Some energy suppliers could merely select to purchase energy on the wholesale market, while others have entered into contracts to purchase the output of renewable property similar to solar farms, wind farms or hydroelectricity vegetation. Some suppliers go one step additional and personal the power vegetation in an analogous strategy to the largest names in electrical energy have owned nearly all of the coal and gasoline vegetation round Australia.
Whilst the precise electrons that circulation into your home, could not really be from a renewable supply, if you happen to assist energy suppliers who concentrate on procuring renewable energy you’re creating larger demand for one of these energy and lowering demand for energy created by fossil fuels.
There are many new and rising energy suppliers with a concentrate on renewables, that additionally supply the choice for patrons to decide on to buy greener electrical energy, which is achieved primarily by way of offsetting packages.
Look for GreenPower
Many energy retailers supply entry to GreenPower which is a nationwide, government-accredited program that enables clients to displace (or offset) their commonplace electrical energy utilization with licensed renewable energy which is then added to the grid.
This in the end results in extra funding in renewable energy initiatives and a shift away from fossil fuels as the principle supply of energy in Australia.
What does it value to go inexperienced together with your family energy?
It prices extra to buy inexperienced electrical energy immediately or through offsets. Using Greenpower for instance, it’s estimated that it’s going to add 4 to eight cents per kWh to your commonplace or present electrical energy charge. The further value of going inexperienced together with your family energy will rely in your month-to-month utilization.
What different components must you take into account?
Besides entry to renewable energy, immediately or not directly through carbon offsets, there are a variety of different issues to search for in an energy supplier to find out their inexperienced credentials.
Renewable Energy Assets: Does the retailer or mum or dad firm personal solar farms, wind farm or hydroelectricity vegetation that convey clear power to the nationwide grid?
Innovative merchandise: Does the retailer supply new and revolutionary merchandise that assist renewable energy uptake, similar to plans designed for households with electrical vehicles?
Marketing stance: What is the corporate’s public place on renewable energy, and are they actively selling inexperienced or sustainable energy manufacturing? Do they’ve any ‘dirty secrets’ round investments in or reliability on energy from fossil fuels? Look for a retailer that has ‘come clean’ and is clear about their present place and future route.
To enable you select a inexperienced energy supplier, Greenpeace has accomplished numerous the legwork for you, rating all energy suppliers in Australia based mostly on their inexperienced credentials. We reproduce right here the highest 10 inexperienced energy suppliers from their most up-to-date itemizing.
The prime 10 inexperienced energy suppliers in Australia
The Green Electricity Guide by Greenpeace ranks practically 50 energy suppliers in Australia from greenest to dirtiest based mostly on components similar to carbon emissions, reliance on coal and general local weather affect.
Each energy supplier is rated towards the next standards to generate a rating:
- Providing clear, renewable energy
- Ending coal use by 2030
- Halting fossil gasoline enlargement
- Support for brand spanking new, renewable energy
- Pollution and environmental hurt
- Transparency in advertising
The listing helps shoppers select energy suppliers with the perfect environmental credentials, which are serving to Australia cut back its reliance on fossil fuels and displaying a critical dedication to tackling local weather change.
| Energy Retailer | Highlights | Operates In | Rating |
| 1. Enova Energy | The greenest electrical energy supplier in line with this listing. Almost all energy sourced from distributed solar panels, and a social enterprise giving again to the group. | NSW and South East QLD | 5/5 |
| 2. Diamond Energy | Renewable electrical energy generator that owns over 1,000 rooftop solar installations, and the primary retailer to supply an export tariff for home batteries. | VIC, NSW, SA and QLD | 5/5 |
| 3. Momentum Energy | Owned by Hydro Tasmania who generate largely renewable electrical energy, although additionally personal two giant gasoline power stations. | VIC, NSW, QLD and SA | 4.5/5 |
| 4. Energy Locals | Mostly owned by a renewable energy funding fund, providing solar feed-in tariffs and good meter set up and operation. | NSW, QLD, VIC, SA and TAS | 4.5/5 |
| 5. Aurora Energy | Owned by the Tasmanian Government who through Hydro Tasmania generate predominantly renewable electrical energy, although additionally personal two gasoline power stations. | TAS | 4.5/5 |
| 6. Indigo Power | A white-label electrical energy retailer that companions with Energy Locals to produce energy to shoppers. A community-owned social enterprise. | Eastern VIC and most of regional NSW | 4/5 |
| 7. CoPower | A white-label electrical energy retailer that companions with Energy Locals to produce energy to shoppers. A member-based, cooperatively managed not-for-profit. | NSW, VIC, SA and QLD | 4/5 |
| 8. Nectr Energy | Offers some 100% renewable energy plans, solar tariff plans and solar/battery bundles. Subsidiary of Hanwha Group which is constructing two giant solar farms in Australia. | NSW, QLD and SA | 4/5 |
| 9. Amber Electric | Encourages and helps clients in utilizing extra energy when wind and solar are powering the grid, and offers electrical energy to clients at wholesale costs with a flat price to cowl its operations. | NSW, QLD, SA, VIC and ACT | 4/5 |
| 10. Powershop | Previously owned by Meridian, a significant renewable electrical energy generator, however not too long ago acquired by world fossil gasoline large Shell. Will proceed to contract renewable energy from Meridian. | VIC, NSW, South East QLD and SA | 4/5 |
Visit The Green Electricity Guide web site to view the whole listing.
What in regards to the massive electrical energy retailers?
Noteworthy for his or her presence on the very backside of the listing of Australia’s greenest energy suppliers are essentially the most extensively identified and used energy firms in Australia, specifically Origin Energy (ranked 44 of 48), Energy Australia (ranked 45 of 48) and AGL Energy (ranked final of 48).
These are the legacy fossil-fuel energy turbines and retailers working the most important coal-fired power stations in Australia, in addition to oil and gasoline mining initiatives. To be honest, they’ve the longest highway forward to grow to be inexperienced energy suppliers given the place they began, and to their credit score they’re making an attempt to vary (albeit slowly) with investments in renewable energy era.
There are many choices for households trying to go inexperienced
While Australia’s nationwide grid on the entire couldn’t be thought-about ‘green’, particular person households have an rising array of sustainable choices for his or her electrical energy wants. Choosing to wholly offset carbon emissions from their energy utilization is less complicated than ever earlier than, with many retailers providing legitimate choices.
The extra people who select to go for greener energy, the extra renewable energy initiatives there will likely be, and the extra really inexperienced energy that will likely be equipped to the nationwide grid.
For many households, the price of selecting a inexperienced electrical energy supplier is a small worth to pay for a cleaner, extra sustainable future.
Rob Fraser
Rob is a Sydney-based copywriter with over 30 years of expertise in advertising, communications and promoting. He has a ardour for renewables with a concentrate on solar, having labored within the sector since 2005 with main manufacturers and retailers throughout residential, industrial and utility segments. Rob enjoys writing for Solar Choice and serving to Australian owners and companies make the perfect renewable energy selections for themselves, and our surroundings.
