Research Says Largest Electricity & Gas Providers Best Placed To Provide Renewable Energy
Four of the largest electricity and gas providers in the UK are in the best position to provide sources of renewable energy in the future according to recent research.
The four electricity and gas providers identified are Centrica (owner of British Gas), EDF, E.ON and npower. These are the companies which the independent analyst company has said are the best able to provide renewable energy in the years to come.
The study by Verdantix looked at 13 utility companies in the UK including Ecotricity, Good Energy, Scottish Power and GDF Suez UK. It included both small and large utility companies.
The research considered 37 assessment criteria such as the ability of a utility company to provide green electricity deals, sustainable gas contracts and on site renewable energy & heat generation.
The author of the report, Vanessa O’Connell said “The fuel mix of power utilities in the UK gets a lot of attention from environmental commentators, but for heads of energy or chief sustainability officers responsible for sustainability strategy it’s just one part of the picture”.
She added that “Rising energy prices and the Carbon Reduction Commitment are driving firms to increase spending on energy efficiency, energy management technology and climate change advisory services”.
Some of the key points of the survey include:
- Demand for energy management services is transforming utility business models. All of the leading energy providers have energy services teams. Back in 2009, Centrica launched a separate business division called Energy 360 and now has 500 employees. Meanwhile E.ON also has a Sustainable Business team which has quadrupled in size since 2007.
- The four companies identified above as being in the best position to provide renewable energy in the future have capabilities in 5 of the six service lines analysed by Verdantix. The company says they have strong internal sustainability strategies.
- Five utility companies: Good Energy; Ecotricity; GDF Suez UK; Scottish Power and Smartest Energy all have above average compliance with the Renewable Obligation. The research found Good Energy supplied 100% renewable energy while Ecotricity ploughs its profits into new wind and solar farms.