In comparing tariffs, you may also want to consider what other voluntary guarantees suppliers use including:
What percentage of electricity is backed by Renewable Electricity Guarantee of Origin (REGO) certificates?
- REGOs show you how much of your electricity is from renewable sources.
- Renewable electricity generators receive one REGO for every kilowatt hour (kWh) of electricity they produce.
- Suppliers also use REGOs to prove they are supplying renewable electricity under the Fuel Mix Disclosure.
Are Levy Exemption Certificates (LECs) retired?
- Renewable electricity generators receive one LEC for every megawatt hour (mWh) of electricity they produce.
- Non-domestic customers can buy renewable electricity backed with LECs and claim an exemption from the Climate Change Levy (CCL).
- Suppliers use LECs to show they meet CCL requirements.
- By retiring LECs, suppliers prove that the renewable electricity they supply you is not being double-counted i.e. they don’t sell on the LECs to non-domestic customers as well.
- LECs should be backed by REGOs.
Are Renewable Obligation Certificates (ROCs) retired over and above statutory requirements?
- Renewable electricity generators receive one ROC for every megawatt hour (mWh) of electricity they generate.
- Generators are able to sell the electricity generated to one supplier and the ROC to another (i.e. the ROC has a value in and of itself).
- Suppliers retire ROCs to show they have met the requirements of the Renewables Obligation (RO). If they have been unable to purchase enough ROCs they can make a payment to the regulator’s buyout fund.
- If suppliers retire ROCs over and above the level required by law, they help increase the market value and the prices renewable generators receive for their ROCs.
- To avoid double counting of green electricity sales, suppliers would need to retire both ROCs and LECs.
- Currently, only three suppliers are committed to retiring a small percentage of ROCs.
What guarantees do suppliers offer to back up their Green Source Tariffs? |
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Supplier and Tariff Name |
Retire ROCs (Renewable Obligation Certificate) over and above the statutory requirement |
||
| British Gas Zero Carbon |
100% |
100% |
12% |
| British Gas Future Energy |
100% |
100% |
|
| Ecotricity New Energy |
45.6% 1 |
|
|
| Ecotricity New Energy Plus |
100% |
|
|
| EDF Energy Green Tariff |
100% |
100% |
|
| Good Energy |
100% |
100% |
5% |
| Green Energy UK Pale Green |
|
|
|
| Green Energy UK Deep Green |
100% |
100% |
|
| Npower Juice |
100% |
100% |
|
| Npower National Trust Green Energy |
100% |
100% |
|
| E.ON Energy Go Green |
100% |
100% |
|
| Scottish and Southern Energy RSPB Energy |
100% |
10% |
10% |
| Scottish and Southern Energy better plan |
100% |
|
|
| ScottishPower H2O |
100% |
|
|
| Utilita planetsaver 1 |
100% |
|
5% |
| 1 Figure will increase each year. 2008 – 09 figure used in table. 3 Figure will vary, 2008-09 figure used in table. |
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| Please note: at present there is no UK-specific regulation or guidelines covering Carbon Offset tariffs aimed at domestic energy consumers. The supplier pages include the tariff details as well as information about the audit mechanisms used by suppliers. |
Additional Information
No Premium Payable:
Some green tariffs are more expensive than a supplier’s standard tariff offerings. The premium is often donated to the green fund or a carbon offset scheme.
Affinity Deal:
Suppliers may have an affinity deal that provides certain benefits such as a donation to a charity or non-profit organisation working on environmental or sustainability issues.
Incentives to Reduce Energy Consumption:
Consumers may be offered cash back or other financial incentives for reducing their consumption over a set period of time.
Available to Prepayment Meter Customers:
This tariff is available to consumers who pay for their electricity or gas using a prepayment meter (PPM).