For our fixed rate tariff customers, we guarantee that for every unit of electricity that you use, we will buy the same energy from a renewable source. We do this following the rules set by Ofgem (the UK energy regulator) about Renewable Energy Guarantees of Origin certificates (REGOs). These certificates are given to renewable generators, certifying how much renewable electricity they have produced, and suppliers can match these to the energy used by their customers. For example, if you use 3,000kWh of electricity in a year, we will make sure we have 3,000kWh worth of certificates from renewable sources.

Ofgem also have an information page about the REGO scheme here.

What's this about voting for my electricity source?

You can Vote for your favourite source of electricity. Each vote will influence our overall fuel mix each year. For example, if 30% of our fixed rate tariff customers vote for solar energy, 30% of our fixed rate tariff fuel mix will be from solar. We count up all customers' votes at the end of March, and update Last Year's Electricity Source Mix, which you can find at the end of our Sources page.

How do you physically get the electricity from your renewable sources to my home?

You will continue to get your electricity straight from the National Grid, which means that the energy that arrives in your home is a mixture of whatever is currently being generated close to your home. This doesn't change when you change supplier. However, for every kWh of electricity that our fixed rate tariff customers use, we put our name against the same amount of energy being produced from a renewable source by having REGO certificates to match. In this way, we are using the existing grid and slowly replacing its input from non-renewable to renewable sources, which is the best we can do without building a rival National Grid! 

Is all the electricity So Energy supplies renewable?

We supply 100% renewable electricity to all our fixed rate tariff customers. We will also aim to buy 100% renewable electricity on behalf of all of our customers on our standard variable tariff (So Flex), but due to the current state of the market this will not always be possible. 

What about gas?

We buy our customers’ gas on the wholesale market. In Britain, gas has a single price regardless of where it comes from and the vast majority of gas on the wholesale market is natural gas (non-renewable).

There is something called 'green gas' which is an alternative to natural gas. It is produced from the gases given off when organic material is broken down. For example, gas can be collected from animal manure, plants, compost, sewage, and landfill sites.

As with electricity, there is a scheme in place for supplier's to guarantee that some or all of the gas bought for customers is from green sources (Green Gas Certification Scheme). Again, as with electricity, the gas that reaches your home may contain some green gas because it shares the same pipes as natural gas.

Currently, green gas is not widely available. Our priority to our customers is delivering great value, and due to the limited availability of green gas, So Energy cannot currently source this affordably for our customers.