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GreenPower

GreenPower is a government-managed scheme which allows households to purchase certified renewable energy through their electricity retailers. You can read more about GreenPower in detail below.

FAQs

How do I know it is GreenPower?

Most electricity retailers offer certified GreenPower Products, easily identified by the GreenPower logo. Only those Products identified with the GreenPower logo are coming from certified sources, meaning you can be guaranteed that you are buying new renewable energy built after 1997.

What about other types of ‘green’ power?

Many retailers offer ‘green’ products and will use words such as ‘carbon offset’, ‘greenest’, ‘greener’, and ‘green power’. In most cases, you are buying electricity generated from non-renewable sources such as coal and gas and they are ‘offsetting’ the carbon emissions of your electricity in other ways, such as planting trees, and therefore not lowering greenhouse gas emissions. It is important to be aware of this practice and know that you are not necessarily buying renewable energy when you purchase a ‘green’ electricity product which is not GreenPower.

Can I choose how much GreenPower I purchase?

Most retailers offer you the choice to buy a percentage of your electricity as GreenPower, for example 25%, 50% or 100% GreenPower. This gives you some flexibility around the added cost while still allowing you to contribute to driving demand for renewable energy and reducing your greenhouse gas emissions.

What will GreenPower cost me?

There are costs involved for retailers in purchasing the equivalent amount of your home’s annual electricity usage from accredited GreenPower sources. However, the cost passed on to consumers can be as little as the cost of three cups of a coffee a week.

GreenPower costs between 5 and 8 cents per kWh and varies between retailers. 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.

It’s important to shop around and compare what each retailer is offering because prices vary between retailers. You can search and compare GreenPower retailers on the GreenPower website via the link below.

Learn more

Why does GreenPower cost more?

On average retailers’ charge consumers approximately 5 to 8 cents per KWh on top of the standard charge for electricity. This is due to administration costs involved in purchasing the equivalent household renewable energy (in the form of Large-scale Generation Certificates or LGCs), as well as the cost of adding new infrastructure to the grid. In recent years we have seen the price of renewable energy drop, driven by demand. Renewable energy is much cheaper to build than other sources of electricity and as more renewable sources come onto the grid, we will see the price of household electricity drop further. By choosing GreenPower, you are creating the demand which will help drive this process.

It also pays to shop around. The electricity market is driven by competition and different retailers charge different prices. Choose the most competitive offer for your needs.

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What impact will GreenPower have on my greenhouse gas emissions?

The electricity sector is the biggest source of greenhouse gas emissions in Australia, making up 32% of Australia’s total emissions in 2019. This is mainly because 84% of our electricity comes from burning fossil fuels, the large majority of which (62.3%) comes from coal. This figure is steadily decreasing as more renewable energy comes onto the grid. By purchasing GreenPower and installing solar you are helping to drive this transition.

What are the sources of GreenPower?

GreenPower comes from accredited sources of wind, solar, hydro and bioenergy. For a full list of GreenPower generators follow the link below.

Learn more