5 renewable energy myths, busted

With renewable energy dominating media headlines, you may be wondering a few things: Is it reliable? Will it make a difference to the climate? Will it cut my power bill? We've teamed up with renewable energy provider Powershop to debunk five myths about renewable energy, and help you make informed decisions about your power.

Myth #1: It won’t stick around for long.

With the cost of renewable energy generation falling and a steady increase in homes and business embracing green power, it’s looking likely that it’s here to stay.

In fact, there are a number of renewable energy projects underway across Australia including large-scale battery projects that would add green power to the grid and homes, and solar farms powering operations of major Australian companies such as BHP.

And it’s not just Australia making moves toward renewables. in 2017 Google purchased a whopping 3 gigawatts of renewable energy capacity, which is enough to power all of its facilities around the world for a whole year.

Myth #2: GreenPower doesn’t make a difference.

In Australia, you can opt to add GreenPower onto your energy bill, where energy retailers buy renewable energy certificates on your behalf.

Australia’s GreenPower program resulted in investments of over $500 million into growing our renewable energy industry since it started back in 2011 - that means solar power, wind power, biomass, hydroelectric, geothermal and tidal power.

Myth #3: You can’t trust energy retailers to invest in renewables.

If you’re like a lot of Aussies and don’t trust your energy provider, you’re probably thinking that they can’t be trusted to do the right thing. The good news is that the GreenPower program publicly audits energy providers to make sure they’re investing in renewable energy.

On top of that, Powershop, Australia’s only 100% carbon neutral retailer for gas and electricity, keeps their title by being regularly tested against the government’s National Carbon Offset Standard (NCOS), so you know their claims are supported.

Myth #4: Coal is more reliable.

Coal has been our primary source of power for a number of years, so we don’t blame you for thinking it may be more reliable.

However, gas and coal power plants are suffering from a lack of demand, requiring planned outages and reduced operations.

On the flip-side, Tesla’s South Australian battery farm responded in 140 milliseconds to a coal plant failure in December 2017, delivering enough power to prevent a blackout from occurring.

And on a smaller scale, installing a solar panel and battery storage system in your home could give you peace of mind knowing you’ve got backup power whenever you need it.

Myth #5: Renewable energy is expensive.

Whilst GreenPower energy plans do cost a little extra, it’s normally only a few dollars more a week, and in exchange, you’re helping support investment in renewable energy. In our recently released Mozo Experts Choice Energy Awards, we found the providers in each state that are supplying the cheapest 100% GreenPower plans, so you can save time on the comparison.

Keep in mind that GreenPower plans currently have higher tariffs because they contribute towards building solar farms and renewable infrastructure. It’s likely that as time goes on and demand rises, the cost of GreenPower will decline.

If you’re ready to invest in Australia’s future in renewable energy, head on over to our energy comparison tool to start comparing the GreenPower plans available in your area.