https://www.ovoenergy.com/

On the face of it buying 100pc renewable energy appeals to me.

But how do I know that if I pay extra for renewable, my neighbours don’t just get supplied with a little bit less renewable?

It just doesn’t make any sense to me, it’s all national grid, isn’t it? If more of the renewable capacity is allocated to me, doesn’t less go to other people?

I could spend some time finding the facepalm pic, but it’s not worth it.

But how do I know that if I pay extra for renewable, my neighbours don’t just get supplied with a little bit less renewable?

Best sentence of the week.

It may be a stupid question, but it’s clear what I’m asking, and I still want to know the answer.

It’s not a stupid question at all. The electricity industry in this country has become incredibly complicated and with all of the recent political dice rolling it’s also very topical.

But Ovo don’t supply you with power generated from renewable sources. It’s all fungible. What it means is that they will enter into PPAs or trading arrangements to buy power from generators that matches the amount they sell to you. The idea is that then encourages further investment in renewable generation by providing a ready route to market for renewable generators.

If you’re genuinely interested go to this site and click on “download PDF for free”. http://www.withouthotair.com

But Ovo don’t supply you with power generated from renewable sources. It’s all fungible. What it means is that they will enter into PPAs or trading arrangements to buy power from generators that matches the amount they sell to you. The idea is that then encourages further investment in renewable generation by providing a ready route to market for renewable generators.

Thanks for the link – the wind section wasn’t news to me but it’s nice to have it really spelled out.

Anyway, it seems my suspicions about the OVO deal are correct – although I would be adding to the demand for renewables thus encouraging renewables, all I’d really be guaranteeing would be that an equivalent amount of renewable energy was generated according to my usageover a certain period of time.

Which isn’t quite the same as 100pc of my energy being renewable.

I really can imagine people on these deals turning the heating up thinking it’s ok, because it’s all renewable. When really it isn’t, they’re just taking it off the grid like everyone else.

Which isn’t quite the same as 100pc of my energy being renewable.

It’s as near as dammit though.

I really can imagine people on these deals turning the heating up thinking it’s ok, because it’s all renewable

Actually, it might help, because it would force the supplier to buy invest that money they pay back into renewables.. and then in 10 years time you could turn it back down again to reduce the coal powered stuff 🙂

But in reality I suspect that people who are intelligent enough to care enough to buy renewable power are also intelligent enough to realise how stupid that would be.

It’s as near as dammit though.

I don’t see how it can be because it doesn’t directly reduce the fossil fuels consumed since other firms might be changing their sources in response – that’s how the market works.

Unless every supplier is obliged to source a certain amount from renewables and they all buy the minimum, in which case one supplier buy extra energy from renewables will reduce use of carbon fuels.

I’m not saying it’s bad, merely that it isn’t what it claims to be, nor is it “near as damn it”.

Have a look at Good Energy too – do a price comparison. I’m with them and their customer service is excellent.

I don’t see how it can be because it doesn’t directly reduce the fossil fuels consumed since other firms might be changing their sources in response

Ah, I see what you mean.

You need to read the literature on what they actually plan to do.

I don’t know if this helps or not…. https://www.ovoenergy.com/ovo-answers/topics/energy-and-environment/environment/where-does-ovo-get-its-electricity-from.html

Just call or message them and find out, I’ve been with them a number of years and find them very helpful, I’d expect they will be more helpful than standard call centre script….