What is the Greenest Energy Provider?

If you’re looking to make an environmentally conscious choice with your energy use, you may be wondering: what is the greenest energy provider?

The unfortunate reality in Australia is that there is no energy provider that supplies only green energy to consumers. We’ll explain this in more detail below.

The proportion of green energy production is on the rise though, having doubled over the past 10 years. In 2019, 21% of electricity in Australia was produced from renewable sources, including wind, solar and hydro.

What is a Green Energy Provider?

While no energy retailer can prove to be wholly ‘green’ there are some options on the market that are more environmentally conscious than others.

GreenPower

GreenPower is a government incentive that supports the generation of local renewable energy sources. There are over 20 energy suppliers that include the GreenPower as an option with their plans.

But before we get too excited, there’s a few details to unpack. First of all, it is at your expense that your retailer will purchase green energy on your behalf. Second, all energy is distributed into the grid, regardless of whether it’s generated from a wind farm or coal plant. This means that customers who opt for GreenPower contributions cannot receive a larger portion of ‘green power’ as a result. 

Green Electricity Guide

There have been few studies into the ‘greenness’ of electricity companies. The Green Electricity guide conducted the only independent analysis, back in 2018, which provided some helpful indicators to consider when examining the green rating of a provider.

Their ranking system factored in:

• intensity of power stations owned by suppliers
• investments and policies on renewable energy vs fossil fuels
• deals for solar consumers
• carbon offset products
• promotion of energy efficiency
• corporate transparency and sustainability reporting.

What is the Greenest Energy Provider?

So, with all that in mind, which retailers ranked the highest on the Green Electricity Guide?

Powershop came in as the undisputed greenest energy provider available in Australia. They are one of very few providers to generate 100% of their electricity from zero emissions sources. Powershop’s parent company, Meridian Energy, own numerous wind farms and hydro plants. They also purchase additional power from wind and solar farms in VIC and NSW.

Diamond Energy came a close second in the green energy provider rankings. Similarly to Powershop, Diamond Energy owns only renewable energy assets and has a strong public stance against investing in fossil fuels.

Australia’s two largest electricity retailers, AGL and Origin Energy, both scored a 3.5 out of a possible 5. Origin is the fourth biggest greenhouse polluter in Australia, while AGL is Australia’s largest carbon polluter.

Now that you’ve got your head around all things ‘green power’, you may find yourself looking to make a more informed decision about your energy provider. Our online comparison tool can help you compare electricity plans from a range of providers, including some ‘green energy’ victors. Our team of friendly experts at Compare and Connect can help you secure the perfect plan and easily make the switch.