Frequently asked questions

• What does 100% renewable electricity mean?

  We purchase renewable energy certificates of origin which guarantee that for every unit of electricity you use, a unit of renewable electricity is put into the grid by renewable generators that produce energy from sources like wind, solar and biomass.

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• Why should businesses become energy efficient?

  Becoming energy efficient is not only good for our planet, it’s also good for your bottom line. By offering cleaner energy supply options and solutions that can reduce your carbon footprint, we can help you reduce your carbon dioxide emissions and keep your bills low.

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• Where does renewable electricity come from?

  Our renewable electricity comes from wind farms, solar plants and biomass. As the name suggests, wind farms generate electricity by making use of massive turbines to harness wind power. Solar plants are made up of acres of land covered in solar panels. These panels contain photovoltaic cells (more commonly referred to as PV) and use photons from sunlight to produce electricity. Finally, biomass uses the anaerobic digestion of waste from manure, crops or food waste to produce gas. This gas can then be used to power turbines and generate electricity.

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• Where does Shell Energy's natural gas supply come from?

  Our gas is a representative mix of the UK’s natural gas supply with 44% coming from UK production in the North Sea, 47% via pipelines from Europe and the remainder via tankers from the rest of the world.

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• Can I get green gas?

  Yes. Our renewable gas is labelled electronically with a unique identifier known as a Renewable Gas Guarantee of Origin (RGGO). For each kWh of gas, this identifier contains information about where, when and how it was produced including the technology used.

  When businesses buy renewable gas, the RGGO is their guarantee that the gas is genuinely renewable.

  
  

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• How does electricity get to my business?

  All electricity – generated from renewable and non-renewable sources – is fed into the National Grid and carried to your business by a Distribution Network Operator (DNO). Once electricity enters the grid, there is no way of separating the electrons according to the source of their generation.

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• How do you guarantee my energy is renewable?

  This is where the renewable energy certificates of origin schemes come in. They provide complete transparency to consumers about the proportion of electricity generated by renewable sources.

  Business suppliers like Shell Energy can buy certificates from renewable generators. The number of certificates that are available match the exact amount of renewable electricity that is produced and is put into the National Grid.

  If you are a home energy customer, the renewable electricity we provide is certified by Renewable Energy Guarantees of Origin (REGOs), which means that all of the electricity you buy from us is matched with the equivalent amount of units from 100% renewable sources in the UK.

  For our business customers, we source renewable electricity and green gas from the UK and Europe and ensure all renewable certificates of origin are certified in the UK.

  
  

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