What's it all about?

Why you should make the switch to clean, renewable energy

The electricity you use at home has a direct impact on the environment. It can contribute to climate change.

Burning fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas to generate electricity contributes to climate change – which is the biggest and most serious environmental threat that we face. Melting glaciers, rising sea levels and more extreme weather events are all signs that dangerous climate change is already beginning.

But using clean, renewable energy like wind and solar does not produce harmful climate-changing and toxic pollution.

As a consumer you have the power to choose clean electricity and reject dirty fossil fuel based energy!

The Clean Energy Guide provides the information you need to switch to a clean, renewable electricity provider and help stop dangerous climate change. With consumer pressure we can discourage energy companies from using fossil fuels and encourage them to move to clean renewable energy.

In the past it has been difficult to choose a cleaner electricity provider because of a lack of information but that has changed. Greenpeace has collated the information for you to make the choice easy.

We investigated electricity providers in New Zealand and looked at how they currently generate electricity, their future generation plans and their policies for the future regarding renewable energy and fossil fuels...

 The result is the Clean Energy Guide.

 On the basis of that information we have ranked each company according to their impact on the climate now and in the future. The worst climate offenders are in the RED at the top of the thermometer and the cleanest electricity providers are at the bottom in the GREEN . The numbers indicate their actual rank.

Why a thermometer? Because the more carbon dioxide from the burning of oil, coal and gas that we produce, the hotter the world will get and the more the climate will change.

Almost anyone with an electricity account can switch to a cleaner energy supplier with little more than a phone call or by filling in an online form.

And it won’t break the bank. In some areas you could save money by making the switch to clean, renewable energy. In other places it could cost less than a cup of coffee a week.

By switching your energy supply you send a strong message to the energy companies that Kiwis do not want to buy – or promote – dirty electricity.

This ranking reflects the opinion of Greenpeace and is intended to give Greenpeace supporters and the public an indication of the relative impact of different electricity companies on the climate according to their use, planned use and policy commitments on different energy sources. The ranking assesses companies on their relative impact on climate change only.  It does not assess companies on other environmental issues, nor is it an endorsement of any company.

KIWIS CARE ABOUT CLEAN RENEWABLE ENERGY

 TNS conducted an independent survey on behalf of Greenpeace in October 2005 on public attitudes to electricity generation.

70% of people surveyed would prefer to purchase electricity that comes from clean, renewable generation sources such as wind or hydro.

The survey results showed clearly that people are willing to put their money where their principles are when it comes to choosing clean energy. 66% of people surveyed said they would be willing to pay more for clean, renewable electricity. Of these, almost three quarters (74%) were prepared to pay an extra $11 or more per month, while over 10% were prepared to pay an additional $90 or more per month!

Based on an average Auckland household using prices from the Ministry of Economic Development price schedule and Statistic New Zealand 's estimate of average yearly household usage at 8,000 kWh. Note exact price differences may vary depending on location and current supplier.