E.ON extends 100% renewables-backed electricity offer to small business customers

E.ON has announced it would be extending its 100% renewables-backed electricity supply to eligible small business customers across Britain – committing to source electricity matched with wind, solar and other sources for 100,000 or more small businesses over the next 12 months.

E.ON already provides its residential customers electricity supply backed by 100% renewable sources – on all tariffs, as standard, at no extra cost. Eligible small business customers will also now receive that offer when they renew or agree a new supply contract directly with E.ON.

In a survey for E.ON, more than half (54%) of Britons believe we, as a nation, are not doing enough to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and tackle our impact on the planet, with around a quarter (27%) of people saying it’s the responsibility of business.

To reduce greenhouse gas emissions, three-quarters (77%) believe we should support cleaner energy, and among consumers more than two thirds (70%) said they would be willing to pay more if the manufacturer of a product was making sustained efforts to act in a climate-friendly way.

And with a poll showing that more than three quarters of people in Britain are concerned about climate change (77%), and a similar number saying they could do more to be more sustainable (79%), the move demonstrates the need for companies to support consumers in taking steps to reduce their environmental impact.

“The climate crisis is the defining issue of our era, and one that energy customers – at home and in business – are increasingly concerned about,” said Michael Lewis, Chief Executive of E.ON UK. “We believe large-scale action can make significant change possible and we’re committed to setting an example for others to follow. That’s why the electricity we provide to our residential customers is backed by 100% renewable sources as standard and we’re extending that offer to eligible small business customers, at no extra cost and at the most convenient time for them, when they agree a new deal with us.

“Our announcement may be an important first step for a small business towards a more sustainable and personalised energy system, but the future of energy doesn’t stop here. The opportunities include helping customers to better manage their energy through smart, personalised and sustainable technologies, including low carbon electric transport alternatives or improving the management of buildings to optimise business energy use and reducing running costs.”

E.ON already acquires a significant proportion of renewable electricity needs for customers’ homes through agreements with wind generators around the country, directly purchasing the electricity produced on behalf of customers.

The remaining electricity used by all customers is matched with 100% renewable electricity sourced externally through such things as renewable electricity guarantee certificates from the likes of wind, biomass and solar sources. These certificates guarantee that an equivalent amount of renewable electricity was generated to the amount supplied.

E.ON’s announcement for residential customers in July, moving more than 3.3 million homes5 to an electricity supply matched by energy sources including wind, biomass and solar, was the largest of its type to date in the UK, significantly increasing the number of households in the country backed by 100% renewable electricity.

E.ON was one of the pioneers of renewable energy in the UK and built its first wind farm on Anglesey in 1992. It was also a partner in the UK’s first offshore wind farm – Blyth in Northumberland – in 2000. Today the company is focused on smart grids and customer solutions to drive the energy transition in Europe.

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