Introducing So Energy’s new partnership with Ripple

Along with supplying 100% green electricity as standard across all our tariffs, a huge priority for us at So has always been helping our customers get as close as they possibly can to the source of that green energy.

With this in mind, we’re very excited to share news of our brand new partnership with Ripple Energy, the largest wind farm owned by the customers it supplies globally. Thanks to the partnership, we are now able to provide our customers with the opportunity to have a secure supply of green electricity, directly from a wind farm to their home via the grid. Not only that, customers can now literally part own the wind farm itself - saving money and reducing their carbon footprint in the process.

Read on to find out more about Ripple, how it works, and why we’re so excited about this new partnership.

What does Ripple Energy do?

Ripple offers its customers the opportunity to stabilise their energy bills by owning a stake in a wind farm. By enabling households to buy part of a wind farm, Ripple helps customers power their home, reduce energy bills, and lower their carbon footprint.

Membership is now open for a wind farm based at Kirk Hill in Ayrshire, Scotland, Ripple’s biggest project to date.

How much energy does the wind farm actually generate?

The wind farm will be formed of eight turbines, and will generate a total of 18.8MW of clean electricity – enough power for up to 20,000 UK households

In less than 10 minutes the wind farm will generate enough electricity to power the average UK home for 1 year. Kirk Hill will reduce carbon emissions by 12,800 kgs per year – over 600kg on average per owner.

So how does it work?

Ownership of the wind farm will be via a cooperative. So Energy customers will be able to sign up to Ripple, join the cooperative and buy shares in the wind farm in a few minutes. Ownership is flexible, starting at just £25.

Owners get savings applied to their electricity bill that reflect the difference between the market price for electricity and the wind farm's low and stable operating costs. When market prices are high, like at present, savings are high. When the market price is lower, savings fall too. The net effect is to help stabilise bills.

What are the benefits of owning a stake in a wind farm through Ripple?

By owning part of a wind farm, you can:

• Own your own source of low-cost green electricity

• Reduce and stabilise your electricity costs for the long term, helping protect you from future electricity price spikes

• Reduce your carbon footprint

Ripple calculates that around £1,600 will purchase enough of the wind farm to power the typical UK home. This results in the same CO2 saving as over 200 trees every year and estimated savings on your electricity bill of £3,250 over the wind farm's 25-year life span.

I’d like to know more. What next?

If you’re a So Energy customer you can learn more about becoming a Ripple member here.