One tariff: Ecotricity makes energy simple

13 July 2013

Ecotricity has today announced that they will offer just one electricity tariff to all new and existing customers from August 1^st.

The single tariff – called simply Green Electricity – will be 100% green.

Green Electricity replaces Ecotricity’s two existing tariffs, New Energy (about 60% green) and New Energy Plus (100% green) and will blend the best of both previous products – the 100% green content of New Energy Plus and the lower price of New Energy.

Existing customers will either enjoy a free upgrade to 100% green or enjoy a small reduction on what they currently pay to get 100% green electricity with Ecotricity¹.

Dale Vince, Ecotricity founder, said: “This is the way the energy industry has to go – there are still a dizzying number of tariffs on the market, and while Ecotricity always had only two tariffs, it doesn't get any simpler than just one.

“Green Electricity will bring further simplicity and transparency for all our customers – everyone will be on the same, easy-to-understand 100% green electricity tariff.”

Through its unique Bills into Mills model,Ecotricity invests on average more per customer in building new sources of green electricity than all energy companies in Britain put together².

 

Dale continued: “The new tariff will still have our Bills into Mills model at the heart of it, and for us that’s the most crucial part of any green energy bill. It’s not the percentage of green energy in a tariff that’s important, it’s how that tariff helps to build more sources of green energy. In Britain we only generate 11% of our electricity from renewable sources – if we really want to tackle high energy bills and stem our reliance on fossil fuels, we’re going to need a lot more than that.”

Ecotricity already has just one Green Gas tariff, meaning their entire energy offering now consists of just two green energy products – Green Electricity and Green Gas.  

Green Electricity forms a key part of Ecotricity’s Ethical Pricing Policy:  

• We offer just one simple tariff for all our customers, 100% green
• All our customers are always on our latest best price – no matter when they joined us and regardless of how they pay (including customers on pre-payment meters) 
• Our customers are free to leave us if they wish, at any time, with no penalties.

The changes are also a green boost for Ecotricity’s business customers, who will also be moved onto the single 100% green electricity tariff.

Ecotricity currently power over 70,000 homes and businesses from 55 windmills and a solar-farm, and this year obtained permission for what will be the fourth largest wind park in England, at Heckington Fen in Lincolnshire.

 

¹ The price of Green Electricity will be around 0.5p per unit lower than New Energy Plus. Each customer’s use varies, but for a household with average UK consumption this will mean a reduction of around £20 a year – that’s £20 a year less for the same 100% green electricity.

² On average over the last ten years, Ecotricity has spent £265 per customer per year on building new sources of green energy – that’s more than all other energy companies put together. We provide all the data you need at  www.whichgreen.org.