20 Oct 2009

Good Energy, the 100% renewable electricity supplier based in Chippenham, has won the 2009 Wiltshire Wildlife Trust’s Corporate Green Award for Climate Change Impact for its innovative HotROCs scheme.

This is the second year running that Good Energy has been honoured by the WWT - at last year’s inaugural ceremony the company won the award for greatest overall contribution to the environment.

Good Energy CEO Juliet Davenport said: “We are thrilled to have received another award from the Wiltshire Wildlife Trust for our innovative HotROCs scheme. Once again, we are leading the industry - our experience with HotROCs proves that a renewable heat incentive can work, and we expect the government to follow our lead in 2011. It’s great to be recognised for our efforts and the contribution the company has made to improving our environment. I’m proud to be a member of a community which actively supports and encourages those working towards a greener future.”

Good Energy HotROCs is the UK’s first Renewable Heat Incentive. Launched in late 2008, it aims to boost the uptake of solar thermal systems (roof‐mounted solar panels used for heating water), encouraging a reduction in gas usage and carbon emissions. Funded by revenues from gas sales, HotROCs pays domestic solar thermal generators 4.5p for each unit of heat energy they produce. Good Energy estimates this amount via a deeming process - considering things like the size and orientation of the installation.

Juliet added: “Our electricity customers had long been asking us to supply gas, but we wanted to do so only if a gas product could support renewables. This market is massively underrepresented with only 0.6% of final ‘heat’ demand in the UK comes from renewable source, but has huge potential. We felt we could make a big difference by making it more accessible. Electricity generators already get the best rates on Good Energy’s HomeGen scheme. Our experience implementing microgeneration payment schemes meant that we were ideally placed to similarly incentivise renewable heat generation.”