About Matched

What Does '100% Renewable' Really Mean?

Many British households choose an electricity tariff that is '100% renewable'—often paying a little extra for the promise of cleaner power. But what does this label actually mean in practice? A "100% renewable" tariff suggests that all the electricity you use comes directly from renewables like wind or solar. However, the reality of how the grid works is more complex.

It's complicated

The electricity system operates in real time. Supply must match demand every second, and when renewables aren't available. For example, on a still winter evening other sources like gas or nuclear power fill the gap.

To navigate this reality, suppliers work with annual aggregates: if they use fossil-fuelled power one day, they can still claim to be '100% renewable' if they purchase enough renewable energy on other days to balance it out.

This approach satisfies the regulatory requirements defined by Ofgem, and it made sense when renewables were scarce and every renewable generator needed support.

But now, with renewables frequently abundant on the grid, it's increasingly easy for suppliers to simply buy renewable energy when it's plentiful without meaningfully changing their supply during the rest of the year.

Some suppliers are ahead of the curve

Despite these challenges, many suppliers are already exceeding the regulated requirements by securing a consistent supply of renewables for their customers—hour by hour and day by day. While none are yet truly 100% renewable every hour of every day, some come remarkably close.

Time for an upgrade

The current accounting system for tracking clean energy is over 20 years old—designed for a different era, and increasingly outdated now that we have so many renewables on the grid.

It's time for an update that reflects actual power flows, rewards suppliers who are doing the most to decarbonise their power, and provides consumers with clear, unambiguous metrics of how renewable their energy is on an hour-by-hour basis.

Why Matched?

We hear discussions about these issues across the energy sector. Some suppliers are now offering commercial customers hourly visibility into their supply, and it seems inevitable that regulations will soon be updated.

We believe that Matched can support the sector by providing data-backed, verifiable ratings. As an independent, philanthropically-backed organisation, we can work with suppliers, consumers, and policy-makers to facilitate change in a way that is effective, collaborative, and fair.

Stay connected

Follow us on LinkedIn for more insights on renewable energy transparency, industry updates, and the latest findings from our research.