BT offers renewable-energy tariff to customers with Good Energy partnership

BT announced on Wednesday (7 June) that it had agreed a partnership with Wiltshire-based green energy supplier Good Energy that offers customers that are moving home a chance to reduce household carbon footprints.

All BT staff members and pensioners and customers in the process of moving home will be offered discounts of up to £130 to switch to Good Energy’s 100% renewable electricity or Green Gas tariffs to power and heat their homes.

“BT already uses renewable energy and aims to go 100% renewable globally by 2020 and partnering with Good Energy allows us to give our customers the opportunity to be responsible too,” BT’s chief sustainability officer Niall Dunne said.

“Good Energy is a fantastic British company that champions’ local renewable energy and with the discount on offer, together we are able to make switching to renewable energy even more appealing.”

One of BT’s flagship sustainability commitments is to help its customers cut carbon emissions by three times their own end-to-end emissions by 2020. The 3:1 ambition currently sits at a ratio of 1.8:1, up from 1.6:1 last year.

Under the Good Energy partnership, consumers could reduce their carbon footprints by up to 50%. The BT discount will value Good Energy’s dual-fuel tariff at £68 cheaper than average standard tariffs offered by the “Big Six” energy firms.

Good intentions

Good Energy sources renewables from two owned and operated onshore windfarms and eight solar farms. It also purchases power from more than 1,400 independent renewable generators across the UK. As of 2016, Good Energy’s electricity fuel mix consisted of 53% wind energy, 24% solar, 19% bio-generation and 4% hydropower. Good Energy’s Green Gas consists of up to 6% biomethane and the emissions from the gas used by consumers is balanced by verified carbon-saving projects in developing countries.

“We’re delighted to be working with BT to accelerate the movement towards a 100% renewable UK,” Good Energy’s chief executive Juliet Davenport OBE said: “This partnership will help us reach tens of thousands of potential new customers, offering them the chance to cut their carbon footprints, take advantage of our award-winning customer service and potentially save on their energy bills at the same time.”

Earlier this week, it was announced that BT’s consumer operations and products that contribute to carbon savings now represent 22% of the company’s annual revenue and are worth £5.3bn.

BT noted that using technologies such as broadband, the Internet of Things (IoT) and digital conferences, allowed customers to reduce their emissions by 10 million tonnes, a 32% increase the year prior.

Sustainable Business Covered podcast: In the green room with BT’s Gabrielle Ginér

BT’s head of sustainable business policy Gabrielle Ginér is the first special guest to enter the green room – edie’s brand new interview hub for sustainability leaders, brought to you as part of the Sustainable Business Covered podcast. 

During a 30-minute interview, Ginér discusses some of the key challenges and opportunities behind the telecoms company’s Purposeful Business Sustainability strategy. Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes here.

Matt Mace