Energy giants and Ripple to offer clean energy to 70% of UK homes

Maximilian Schwerdtfeger
Written By
Published on 7 May 2024
  • British Gas, EDF, Ecotricity and E.ON Next join initiative as energy suppliers
  • Deal increases the number of people who can benefit to 7/10 households
  • Ripple also announces fourth energy project
Ripple Energy's Graig Fatha project

British Gas, EDF, Ecotricity and E.ON Next are set to join as suppliers in a new deal that aims to make clean energy more affordable and accessible for roughly 70% of homes in the UK, Ripple Energy has announced. 

The new partnership means existing customers of British Gas, EDF, E.ON Next and Ecotricity will be able to own a share in their clean energy supply and benefit from additional savings, which will be directly applied to their bills, without changing suppliers. 

Ripple Energy allows customers to invest in large-scale clean energy projects – a solar park or a wind farm – in exchange for affordable eco-friendly electricity. In some cases, it is possible for customers to save up to 25% of the cost of annual energy usage.

Ripple Energy has also announced its fourth project, a 14-turbine wind farm at Whitelaw Brae in the Scottish Borders, which it said will generate enough electricity to power an average home for a year in less than three minutes. 

Customers can only take part in Ripple Energy’s projects if their energy is supplied by one of the company’s partners. Until the announcement, that was just Your Co-op Energy (powered by Octopus Energy) and Unify Energy

Founder and CEO of Ripple Energy, Sarah Merrick, said these new partnerships will mean more affordable renewable energy for customers, which will, in turn, help the UK’s net-zero ambitions. 

“Our mission has always been to make clean energy ownership available to everyone, everywhere,” Merrick stated. 

“Collaborating with even more of the UK’s energy giants will not only support that mission, but demonstrate their dedication to sustainability and delivering value to their customers. Partnerships like these can play a crucial role in making renewable energy accessible to all.”

Catherine O’Kelly, managing director, British Gas Energy, said the company was “delighted to be working with Ripple to increase access to renewable energy ownership.

“Not only will our customers save money on their energy bills, they will also cut the carbon footprint of their homes. 

“We’re pleased to open up low carbon solutions to more people and take another step towards our ambition to energise a greener, fairer future.”

Dale Vince OBE, founder, Ecotricity, said the partnership with Ripple Energy will give customers the opportunity to own a stake in their energy supply and “to play in Britain’s journey to energy independence.”

Julian Lennertz, chief commercial officer, E.ON Next, commented that the partnership will allow customers to play a role in and benefit from the transformation towards sustainable energy.

Written by

Maximilian Schwerdtfeger

Max joined The Eco Experts as content manager in February 2024. He has written about sustainability issues across numerous industries, including maritime, supply chain, finance, mining, and retail. He has also written extensively for consumer titles like City AM, The Morning Star, and The Daily Express.

In 2020, he covered in detail the International Maritime Organisation’s (IMO) legislation on sulphur emissions and its effects on the global container shipping market as online editor of Port Technology International.

He also explored the initiatives major container ports and terminals have launched in order to ship vital goods across the world without polluting the environment.

Since then, he has reported heavily on the impact made by environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices on the supply chain of minerals, with a particular focus on rare earth mining in Africa.

As part of this, in 2022 Max visited mines and ports in Angola to hone in on the challenges being faced by one of the world’s biggest producers of rare earth minerals.

His most recent sustainability-related work came much closer to home, as he investigated the eco-challenges faced by independent retailers in the UK, specifically looking at how they can cut emissions and continue to thrive.

Max lives in South London and is an avid reader of books on modern history and ghost stories. He has also recently learned to play the game Mahjong and takes every opportunity to do so. He is also yet to find a sport he doesn’t enjoy watching.

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