Some Dutch energy providers are not as green as they claim to be and business consumers in particular are likely to be paying the price, according to new research by consumers organisation Consumentenbond and several environmental groups.

Almost two-thirds of the Dutch have a contract for renewable, green energy but only 14% of the power generated in the Netherlands comes from sustainable sources, the organisation points out.

Companies, schools and hospitals are most likely to be fobbed off with traditional ‘grey’ electricity rather than power from sustainable sources, the consumers’ body says.

The report is based on an analysis of the investment, sales and delivery policies of 29 consumer energy providers in the Netherlands.

‘Consumers are being lured in by ads featuring nature, fields, wind turbines and solar panels and they expect that by choosing a green energy supplier they are contributing to a sustainable energy supply,’ says Casper Schrijver, of green group Natuur & Milieu, which was involved in the research.

‘So we consider the fact that they are providing electricity largely generated by fossil fuels to be misleading.’

Progress

The research does show that the big energy companies are making progress and both Nuon and Essent are no longer included in the most polluting category.

Eleven companies on the ranking score eight out of 10 or more for sustainability because they either produce their own electricity or buy it at source.

‘The increased production of renewable energy is key to containing climate change,’ says Bart Koenraadt of energy comparison website Energievergelijk.nl.  ‘So, it is important to know which energy supplier is genuinely green and which supplier is only pretending.’