Power providers - how they stack up

Switching to ethical electricity is a powerful way to significantly reduce your carbon footprint because around 50% of NSW's carbon emissions come from producing our power. Understanding which retailers support community and renewables over coal and gas is key. Let’s support a power company that invests in our clean energy future.

Three easy steps?

  1. Use the table to compare electricity providers.
  2. Choose an ethical provider (stars in bottom rows)
  3. Contact them to make the switch.

$25 off your first bill with Enova Energy

COREM (Community-Owned Renewable Energy Mullumbimby) highly values and recommends Enova Energy. A local, not for profit, community-owned enterprise which invests in local renewable energy generation and energy efficiency projects. Enova aims to supply our region with locally made renewable electricity. Enova offer a range of plans to suit your budget or environmental intentions and pay a very high feed in tariff for your solar power, see enovaenergy.com.au. If you decide to sign up online use the promo code COREM25 to receive $25 off your first bill and they also will give a donation to COREM.

What is ‘ethical’ power?

Repower Byron Shire uses the following criteria to determine ‘ethical’ power.

Ethical practice

  • Support for solar customers – e.g. high feed in tariff, energy plans options for customers to access local renewable energy products
  • Participation in new renewable energy projects and technologies such as solar gardens, peer to peer trading, micro-grids etc.
  • Support a clean energy future – e.g. the renewable energy target and Paris Climate agreement etc.
  • Transparency in where energy is bought from and where profits go

Support for Renewable power

Zero tolerance policy position on;
  • Coal
  • Coal seam gas
  • Natural gas
  • Nuclear
  • Native forest biomass

Local (Northern Rivers)

  • Focus on community ownership
  • A percentage of profits remaining local
  • Local staff employed
  • Local social partnerships, eg community groups
  • Local business partnerships, eg solar installers

Government accredited GreenPower

Another way to ensure your electricity is not contributing to climate change is to buy Government accredited “GreenPower” from your existing retailer. Purchasing GreenPower allows you to support Australia’s renewable energy sector by matching your electricity usage with GreenPower accredited renewable energy certificates. Usually this is a surcharge to an existing plan. An estimate of the cost of GreenPower is around 5-8 cents per kWh more than your current electricity rate, so for low electricity users this may be only a few dollars a week.

By committing to the Repower Byron Shire campaign, we can have locally made renewable energy that ensures our air and water is clean and healthy for our families now and in the future.

If you are a tenant but still want solar?

  • Enova Solar Garden - Enova Community has just launched a new opportunity for renters to access solar energy through buying a membership in a Community Solar Garden. This membership ensures that you get a discount on your bill from the energy generated from the panels and it can remain with you, even if you move house. Click here for more information on the 
  • CORENA have offered 3 special offers to provide for a no-interest loan for 6 years to tenants and landlords who want to install solar. The costs and incentives are split 50/50 between tenant and landlord. If you are interested in taking advantage of this unique offer please email me.
  • COREM has drafted this guide of how tenants and landlords can both benefit from solar – Tenant Landlord Solar Information​​