Green Energy UK has launched a renewable energy tariff which it claims is the first in the UK to adhere to ecolabel EKOenergy’s strict environmental criteria.
EKOenergy is an ecolabel for renewable energy, meaning the energy supplied is verifiably green.
As well as being renewable, the energy sold with the EKOenergy label fulfills additional sustainability criteria. It is backed by over 40 NGOs across Europe.
Under the new tariff, money will be donated to EKOenergy’s climate fund. The fund is used to finance new renewable energy and environmental projects around the world.
Last week a report published by Which? said the consumer group was concerned that suppliers claiming to provide green energy were at risk of misleading customers.
For example, some of the suppliers who offer 100 per cent renewable energy do not generate renewable electricity themselves or have contracts to buy renewable electricity directly from generators.
The consumer group said it was concerned that the current system allowed suppliers relying solely on renewable energy guarantees of origin (REGO) certificates to “greenwash” their tariffs.
Doug Stewart, chief executive of Green Energy UK, said: “There is a growing demand for environmental products in response to such things as Blue Planet and Extinction Rebellion; our research found that 74 per cent of energy customers who have chosen a green tariff say that they buy green tariffs because they are committed to improving the environment.
“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.”
Meanwhile 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 per cent renewable and delivers additional environmental benefits.”