Green power deals 2016

[duncan]

Hi all,

(not exactly Solar Questions but green power so close enough )

Does anyone have up to date info or suggestions on green power deals? We are off contract again this month, currently with Origin 100% offset gas and electricity?

[gabzimiev]

www.powershop.com.au/ have been really nice up to 3 accounts with them parents, parents office and my house.

My Gas is still with AGL since powershop don't do that yet. greenelectricityguide.org.au/ has been updated and is pretty good still

[empowerrepower]

Hi Duncan,
Another approach to buying GreenPower is to do it through C3. That way, it is tax deductible (seems to be too good to be true, but it is), and you can buy exactly how much you want. I use C3 GreenPower to cover the power we use outside of our solar power, and so that I know the car is running clean. It also helps support the ATA, an admirable association. www.climatechest.org.au/

As an aside, the price of GreenPower has risen recently as a consequence of a rise in the value of LGC certificates within the RET scheme, so when they drop again, the price will drop. There is a story about it here:
www.smh.com.au/environment/new-year-rings-in-41-per-cent-rise-in-greenpower-prices-20160104-glyyne.html

[jeffjl]

Jan 6, 2016 17:05:37 GMT 11 empowerrepower said:

Hi Duncan,
Another approach to buying GreenPower is to do it through C3. That way, it is tax deductible (seems to be too good to be true, but it is), and you can buy exactly how much you want.

No wonder we have a revenue problem in this country. All the accountants and lawyers arranging for tax deductions that are little more than rorts. Still if you don't use them you are throwing away money.

[duncan]

Jan 6, 2016 17:05:37 GMT 11 empowerrepower said:

Hi Duncan,
Another approach to buying GreenPower is to do it through C3. That way, it is tax deductible (seems to be too good to be true, but it is), and you can buy exactly how much you want. I use C3 GreenPower to cover the power we use outside of our solar power, and so that I know the car is running clean. It also helps support the ATA, an admirable association. www.climatechest.org.au/

As an aside, the price of GreenPower has risen recently as a consequence of a rise in the value of LGC certificates within the RET scheme, so when they drop again, the price will drop. There is a story about it here:
www.smh.com.au/environment/new-year-rings-in-41-per-cent-rise-in-greenpower-prices-20160104-glyyne.html

Excellent, thanks. I haven't been keen on supporting the big retailers anyway so a left field option is interesting, I'll check it out.

And yep will include powershop this time too, they weren't around previously.

Thanks, will update once we've researched further.

[EVangelist]

Jan 6, 2016 17:05:37 GMT 11 empowerrepower said:

Another approach to buying GreenPower is to do it through C3. That way, it is tax deductible (seems to be too good to be true, but it is), and you can buy exactly how much you want. I use C3 GreenPower to cover the power we use outside of our solar power, and so that I know the car is running clean. It also helps support the ATA, an admirable association. www.climatechest.org.au/

Yeah I got a notice from Origin that my GreenPower surcharge would increase from 3.61 c/kWh to 5.10 c/kWh.  This means the GreenPower "premium" over dirty power has increased from 17% to 24%.  As pointed out, this mainly reflects the criminal negligence of the Government in completely destroying the investment conditions in the renewables sector over the past 2 years, which has forced up the price of renewable certificates (supply and demand, and all that).  Hopefully things will rebalance over the next 2 years now there is RET certainty (there will need to be a huge investment in wind and solar over the next 5 years to meet even the emasculated RET).

To offset this I am continuously trying to improve the energy efficiency of my house to lower my electricity consumption.  I have just finished replacing 50 halogen downlights with LEDs.  If they were all on, this would reduce my total lighting power consumption from 3 kW to just 0.65 kW - a nearly 80% reduction.

I will consider Powershop though.  I mainly went with Origin because they were the only provider of a carbon-offset gas product.

I have no idea what "C3" is or why I would want to tax deduct my power costs.

[Phoebe]

I don't bother with Green Power from the grid as I use so little Grid power.  Just got my bill for 3 months, 48 cents! and that includes powering the LEAF.

[duncan]

Well the trick about Origin (and everyone else's) "green power" offerings is that you are not actually receiving your power from renewable sources. All they commit to do is to buy the same amount of renewal power as the total you expend. Therefore, you could obtain the same offsets from any organisation without having to support the big energy companies as a customer.

[Phoebe]

Exactly! With my solar panels I do know how much green power I am using