SME owners switched on to renewable energy but simply can’t afford it or find it too confusing

Dec. 1, 2011 - PRLog -- A poll of UK SMEs by business-to-business energy supplier, Opus Energy, points to the sector being switched on to buying energy from renewable sources but put off by cost and perceived complexity.

Nearly three quarters of small businesses that are not currently on a specific renewable energy tariff (72%) said they would consider it in the future, with the rest ruling it out as a result of cost (47%) and complexity (18%). One third (29%) claimed to be not interested.

Charlie Crossley Cooke, Managing Director, Opus Energy, believes the findings provide a useful insight into the real impact of current renewable policy on UK small businesses: "We estimate that around 10% of every customer’s bill is made up of green subsidies and that the proportion of renewable subsidies that all UK businesses pay will rise by around 25% over the next 12 months. SMEs are paying for renewable energy whether it’s clear of the energy it supplies to its customers from cleaner, low-carbon sources.  to them or not.

“There needs to be more transparency for small businesses around the contribution they are already making to renewables – and perhaps then there’ll be greater take up by SMEs.”

Over the last few years Opus Energy, a major supplier of electricity and gas to businesses in the UK, has sourced a large proportion of the energy it supplies to its customers from cleaner, low-carbon sources.

For further information about Opus Energy, please see http://www.opusenergy.com/

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Opus Energy offers UK businesses cheap energy and a high standard of customer care. Opus Energy only supply to UK businesses and are proud to supply over 100,000 customers, including FirstGroup and Lloyds Pharmacy