Where does our electricity come from?
Read on to find out where our electricity came from between 1 April 2023 and 31 March 2024.
Going greener
At OVO, we’re helping customers save money and cut carbon. We want the future of energy to be cleaner, greener, and more affordable – for everyone in the UK. So it’s great news that the country generated more renewable power than ever between April 2023 and March 2024. On average, 43% of the power flowing into homes came from greener sources – like wind, solar, and hydro. With our customers, we’re investing in new renewable power from community projects to help this trend continue.
How you get your energy
No matter which energy supplier you’re with, the energy that powers your home comes from the national grid. So your home will run on the electricity source that’s closest to you – depending on where you are. Let’s say you live near a wind farm and it’s a windy day. It's likely you and your neighbours are getting your electricity from there. When you change energy supplier or tariff, the electricity flowing into your home stays the same.
How you get your energy
No matter which energy supplier you’re with, the energy that powers your home comes from the national grid. So your home will run on the electricity source that’s closest to you – depending on where you are. Let’s say you live near a wind farm and it’s a windy day. It's likely you and your neighbours are getting your electricity from there. When you change energy supplier or tariff, the electricity flowing into your home stays the same.
So-called “renewable tariffs”
Some energy suppliers claim to sell energy that is “100% renewable.” To be able to say that, many of them buy certificates called REGOs (Renewable Energy Guarantees of Origin). But these certificates don’t tell the whole story.
Our research shows that REGOs don’t actually make the UK electricity grid any greener. That’s because the way they work is by matching up renewable power that is already being generated with the power someone on a “100% renewable” tariff uses in their home. You might think by signing up to that tariff you’re supporting new renewable power – but you’re not. These tariffs alone don’t generate any more green energy or give you 100% green energy at home, they just apportion what’s already there to specific people. Helping those suppliers to look better on paper.
So-called “renewable tariffs”
Some energy suppliers claim to sell energy that is “100% renewable.” To be able to say that, many of them buy certificates called REGOs (Renewable Energy Guarantees of Origin). But these certificates don’t tell the whole story.
Our research shows that REGOs don’t actually make the UK electricity grid any greener. That’s because the way they work is by matching up renewable power that is already being generated with the power someone on a “100% renewable” tariff uses in their home. You might think by signing up to that tariff you’re supporting new renewable power – but you’re not. These tariffs alone don’t generate any more green energy or give you 100% green energy at home, they just apportion what’s already there to specific people. Helping those suppliers to look better on paper.
The path to greener energy
At OVO, we stopped using REGO certificates as standard in 2023. We believe there’s a better way to bring more renewable power to the UK and be up front about it too. So we buy electricity for our Greener Electricity customers directly from renewable generators all over the country. We also invest in new, independent renewable power. We think this does more to actually cut the UK’s carbon footprint.
Actions that save energy and use power in a smarter way are just as important for the country’s carbon footprint. So we’re helping customers take steps to make energy better for them, their wallets, and the planet. Everything from using energy at greener times to getting a heat pump or an electric car. This all means we’re making good progress towards reaching true net zero by 2035, with minimal reliance on carbon offsets in line with the latest science.
The path to greener energy
At OVO, we stopped using REGO certificates as standard in 2023. We believe there’s a better way to bring more renewable power to the UK and be up front about it too. So we buy electricity for our Greener Electricity customers directly from renewable generators all over the country. We also invest in new, independent renewable power. We think this does more to actually cut the UK’s carbon footprint.
Actions that save energy and use power in a smarter way are just as important for the country’s carbon footprint. So we’re helping customers take steps to make energy better for them, their wallets, and the planet. Everything from using energy at greener times to getting a heat pump or an electric car. This all means we’re making good progress towards reaching true net zero by 2035, with minimal reliance on carbon offsets in line with the latest science.
Reporting on our fuel mix
The energy regulator, Ofgem, requires all energy suppliers to report on their “fuel mix”. At the moment, this fuel mix disclosure still allows suppliers to appear ‘greener’ by purchasing certificates like REGOs. That ’s something we’re campaigning to change, so everyone is playing fair. Until then, we’re leading by example by adopting a location-based approach for our carbon footprint, meaning that electricity sold to customers reflects the grid’s average intensity. This means our focus is on growing how green the grid is for everyone - rather than claiming existing renewable power.
We will continue to report our fuel mix annually as required. Our fuel mix might appear less favourable than others on paper, but the energy going into our customers’ homes is exactly the same as whether they were with OVO or someone else. For the period April 2023 to March 2024, our fuel mix was as follows: Natural Gas - 61%, Coal 13%, Renewables 11%, Nuclear 9%, Other 6%. The carbon intensity was 417g per kWh, and the radioactive waste was 0.0005g per kWh.
Greener Electricity: helping the UK run on greener power
For customers who really want to help our country run on more greener power, we offer our Greener Electricity upgrade.
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