power | 16th Jun, 2016

Switch to GreenPower

In Victoria, we’re dependent on brown coal to generate our electricity. It’s a big part of why we’re amongst the world’s worst pollutors.

Signing up for GreenPower_RGB_logoGreenPower is the single easiest way to cut your greenhouse gas emissions from electricity use. When you sign up for GreenPower, your electricity retailer buys electricity from renewable sources on your behalf.

Since 2009, GreenPower households in Australia have saved more than 5 million tonnes of greenhouse gases from going into our atmosphere and have voluntarily invested more than $300 million back into Australia’s renewable energy sector.

How it works – GreenPower and the Renewable Energy Target

The Renewable Energy Target is a policy that encourages the development of renewable energy in Australia. It does this by requiring certain businesses, mainly electricity retailers, to purchase a certain number of Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs). RECs are created by renewable energy power stations, such as wind farms, that are accredited by the Clean Energy Regulator.

When you buy GreenPower, you force your retailer to buy more Renewable Energy Certificates than mandated, increasing the demand for renewable energy and driving further investment in renewables in Australia.

Where to get GreenPower

GreenPower certified renewable energy can be purchased through one of the more than 20 GreenPower Providers across the country, and you can choose the amount of GreenPower you would like to purchase – any where from 10%, through to 100% of your household’s electricity use. To see the list of providers offering certified GreenPower Products to households in your state or territory click here.

What’s the cost?

GreenPower costs between 5.5 and 8 cents per kWh. Depending on how your provider calculates your GreenPower and how much electricity you use, you can pay from as little as $1 per week for 10-25% GreenPower.

The outlay for 100% GreenPower for an average Australian household, which consumes around 15-18 kWh each day, is roughly 80c to $1.50 per day. This option can shrink your household’s total emissions by half, significantly reducing your impact on the environment.

Also, in many cases you can offset your GreenPower costs through energy efficiency measures.

You can find a provider and estimate the costs here.