Wodonga backs green energy

Border Mail
Friday 16/11/2007 Page: 5

Wodonga is leading the way in renewable energy, making the top 10 of Victorian suburbs signing up for green power. More than 235,700 environment-savvy Victorians were GreenPower customers for the quarter ending June 30 this year - 2682 were Wodonga residents. GreenPower is a national renewable energy accreditation scheme which certifies renewable energy products to ensure they will help decrease greenhouse gases.

Sustainability Victoria business strategy manager Vikas Ahuja said the large number of customers joining the renewable electricity market showed people were conscious of reducing their greenhouse emissions. Country Energy spokeswoman Emma Ginnivan agreed. "More people are taking up the green option because of greater environmental awareness and a desire to take positive individual action against climate change," she said.

"People are looking more and more to their energy providers to actively encourage and invest in a sustainable, renewable energy industry which is why Country Energy looks for long term, sustainable power source alternatives to complement traditional types of energy generation." In Albury, 112 TRUEnergy customers signed up for green power in the past quarter, while Wodonga had a staggering 626 new customers.

Renewable energy packages start at $1 extra a week. GreenPower products are offered to both business and residential customers with more environmentally friendly energy options to suit individual budgets. An average Australian household that has subscribed to 100 per cent accredited Green-Power would save about seven tonnes of greenhouse pollution every year, which is equivalent to removing almost two cars from the road.

A TRUEnergy spokeswoman said customer uptake of Green-Power had doubled in the Border region in the past 10 months. "Nationally, TRUEnergy welcomes about 1300 new Green-Power customers every week," she said. "This level of customer interest in renewable energy is tremendous as it means more households and businesses now see switching to GreenPower as the single, most effective thing they can do to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions."