Abstract
Introduction
This brief assesses the development of the green power market in Australia,
covering the size of the market and take-up of accredited green power by
state, including forecasts to 2010; competitor performance and offerings, and
consumer attitudes and behaviours.
Scope of this report
- A mid-2008 survey of 1,000 Australian households regarding attitudes
towards and take up of green energy in a broader environmental behaviour
context
- Breakdown of responses by state, age group, spend and household size
- Forecast take up of green power in Australia by state to June 2010
Research and analysis highlights
The opportunity to purchase green power at no extra fee has been an growing
factor in driving customers to switch to green power, followed by media
coverage of climate change and information from retailers.
Only 30% of customers would be prepared to pay extra to switch to a green
tariff, and the majority would only be willing to pay a 1-5% premium.
By June 2010, just under 12% of households in Australia are forecast to be on
an accredited green power tariff, up from 9% as at the end of June 2008.
Key reasons to read this report
- Evaluate consumer attitudes and behaviour in relation to green energy and
other environmentally-beneficial activities
- Identify differences between consumers in different states, age grouers,
from the major utilities to the latest new entrants ps and household size bands
- Compare market shares, tariffs and pricing of the green power retail
Table of Contents
- DATAMONITOR VIEW
- ANALYSIS
- Demand for green energy continues to grow in Australia
- Almost 750,000 customers were on green tariffs at the end of June 2008
- Nine percent of Australian homes now on a green tariff
- NSW and Victoria together account for over two-thirds of green energy
customers
- Consumers continue to prefer the cheaper options with lower shares of
accredited green power
- Competitor analysis shows increasing competition and fragmentation
- Origin Energy leads the market, but TRUenergy made major strides in
2008
- Prices vary significantly within the different accredited bands
- Company profiles
- ActewAGL
- AGL
- Alinta
- ARK Climate (Australian CO2 Exchange)
- Aurora Energy
- Australian Power & Gas
- Click Energy
- Climate Friendly
- Country Energy
- COZero
- Domayne
- EnergyAustralia
- Energy Pacific/Pacific Hydro
- Ergon Energy
- Global Green Plan
- Integral Energy
- Jackgreen
- Momentum Energy
- Origin Energy
- Our Neighbourhood Energy
- Qenergy
- Red Energy
- Simply Energy
- Synergy
- TRUenergy
- Victoria Electricity
- Viridor
- Consumer attitudes to green power
- Consumers are going green, but don' t always know about accreditation
- The opportunity to purchase green power at no extra charge to current
rates remains a key driver
- With few customers paying or willing to pay more than a 5% premium for
green energy
- Without all retailers offering green power at the same price as ' grey'
power, the near-term potential could be 15% of households
- Confusion remains a key barrier to green power take up as well as cost
- Customers are prioritising alternative ways of helping the environment
rather than sign up for green power
- FORECASTS
- Growth in customers to slow, but still over one million residential
green power customers forecast by mid-2010
- APPENDIX
- Methodology
- Definitions
- Sources
- Further reading
- Ask the analyst
- List of Tables
- Table 1: Growth in take-up of green energy began to taper in some states
in late 2007 and early 2008
- Table 2: Over thirteen percent of Victorian homes were on a green tariff
by June 2008
- Table 3: Share of green energy customers by State, 2004-2008
- Table 4: Average share of green power purchased by residential consumers
was 15.3% in the quarter ended June 2008
- Table 5: Green energy customers by retailer, 2006-08
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