100% renewable electricity?

[KM-Tiger]

I find myself puzzled by adverts that claim to use or supply 100% renewable electricity.

We have a national grid that connects everything together, so how is it possible to know exactly where the electricity you are using now has come from? It could even be France! Or a windmill somewhere.

So these "100% renewable" ads are a lie, and I'm surprised the advertisers are allowed to get away with it.

Or am I missing something?

 

[Paul Norman]

I have often wondered the same thing.

Should some evil coal derived volts enter my house, what should I do?

 

[UKSBD]

"Think of the National Grid like a bucket. All the electricity that’s produced in the UK goes in there, and customers like you take it out. We can’t guarantee all the electricity in the bucket is renewable, but we can make sure our portion is."

source: https://www.eonenergy.com/renewable.html

 

[The Supplier Central]

You have the same problem with clothing companies pretending to be "green" - they just choose their own definition (often that they have one "carbon neutral" factory they own and the rest are all outsourced so technically not theirs!). Also packaging can just be "possible to recycle" and then they claim they are green companies and take lots of arty shots of cardboard boxes and plants!

 

[DontAsk]

What they are saying is they charge people for the same amount of electricity as they generate, or purchase, from renewable sources.

 

[Bob Morgan]

It reminds me of a comment I once heard from a farmer regarding 'Free-Range Eggs!' - " . . . Same eggs as t'battery! - Dip them in chicken **** and double the price!"

 

[UKSBD]

What they appear to be saying is that if they put 1000kw in to the grid they will only supply 1000kw

Easy when there are far more alternative suppliers, but is it still the case now?

It would mean out of the big 6 they may struggle to take on the customers from those who went bust.

 

[Financial-Modeller]

I find myself puzzled by adverts that claim to use or supply 100% renewable electricity.

We have a national grid that connects everything together, so how is it possible to know exactly where the electricity you are using now has come from? It could even be France! Or a windmill somewhere.

So these "100% renewable" ads are a lie, and I'm surprised the advertisers are allowed to get away with it.

Or am I missing something?

It means that whichever retailer you are buying from, is buying electricity generated renewably e.g. by the owner of a wind farm, rather than the owner of a coal-fired power station.

No lie there.