Top 10 green living myths – 6. What they tell you: Sign up with us, we provide 100% renewable electricity
What they don’t tell you: Various electricity companies promise to provide customers with power from renewable sources. This gives the impression that by signing up you’ll be increasing the amount of clean electricity being produced.
The truth is rather more complex. The government requires a certain proportion of UK electricity to come from renewable sources. If an electricity company exceeds this target by generating most or all of its power from renewables it can sell its extra green electricity credits to other companies which in turn can avoid producing any green power themselves.
The net effect is that not very much changes. That’s not to say don’t sign up, but if you do use a green power supplier don’t expect your electricity to suddenly be carbon-neutral, no matter what the adverts suggest.
via Top 10 green living myths | Duncan Clark | Environment | guardian.co.uk.
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