The generation of solar and wind power don’t release any CO2 (the greenhouse gas to blame for global warming), and the amount of CO2 released by burning biogas is the same as that released during naturally occurring organic decomposition.

Plus, there’s no limit to supply. As long as the sun keeps shining, the wind keeps blowing, and animals carry on… ahem…doing their thing, there will be a source of energy.

What’s the alternative?

The alternative to renewable energy is getting power from burning fossil fuels, which is how the world has been powered since the days of the Industrial Revolution. Both coal and oil are just that: fossils - the ancient remains of plants, algae and animals, which have been put under immense heat and pressure. These fossil fuels hold a huge amount of trapped carbon, which is released when they’re burned – and that increase in CO2 means a warmer planet and rising sea levels.

How does the renewable energy supply chain work?

Renewable energy is generated, added to the national grid, mixed with energy from other sources, and finally piped out to houses and businesses in the UK.

On any Octopus Tariff…

We guarantee that for every kWh of electricity you use, we’ll generate a renewable one to replace it.

1 kWh out of the national grid = 1 renewable kWh in

And if you’re on our Super Green Octopus tariff…

We guarantee that for every kWh of electricity you use, we’ll generate a renewable one to replace it.

1 kWh out of the national grid = 1 renewable kWh in

AND we also measure how much gas you use, and carbon-offset this through various environmental projects at home and abroad.

How are we doing?

Half way through 2018, we committed to providing even greener energy - switching all our customers to 100% renewable electricity, at no additional cost. This is heaps more than the 29% national average, and means that our carbon emissions are a big fat 0g/kWh, a vast improvement on last years' 132g/kWh and an even bigger improvement on the national average of 225g/kWh.

The below breaks down our fuel mix compared to the most recently reported national average.

Source: Ofgem, 1st April ’17 to 31st March '18

Though the specific amounts do vary, here's a breakdown of the different renewable fuel types we use:

We’re big fans of transparency here at Octopus, so you can even see where we get that renewable energy from around the UK. It’s a combination of Octopus-backed sites and third party suppliers, each of which help us make sure that our customers get as much green energy as possible.

Octopus Energy – backed by the best

Octopus Energy is backed by the Octopus Investments. They’re the UK’s largest investor in solar generation, with over £2 billion invested so far. That investment alone generates enough power to supply a city the size of Manchester.

As well as wind and organic waste generation, Octopus Investments invests in ‘smart technology’ to help build a new way of supplying and generating energy around the UK. One that will be based on a more transparent, push-and-pull network of tomorrow, helping to provide some much needed flexibility in the energy industry.