More German Consumers Switching to Green Power

Climate change is a matter of great concern for many people around the world, and Germans are no exception. They are increasingly trying to cut down on their carbon footprints by switching to green power.

The four big energy companies RWE, Vattenfall, EN-BW and E-On are the biggest losers in this development. Customers are neither happy with their prices, nor with the source of energy these companies use.
Since the liberalization of the German energy sector in 1998, the Green party has encouraged people to switch to more ecologically oriented providers.

However, the dominant position of the big four players, who rely mainly on energy from nuclear and fossil fuel sources, has largely gone unchallenged.

Now, even the director of the Federal Cartel Office, Bernhard Heitzer, has begun appealing to Germans to think about changing to a smaller provider.

Gerd Billen, Director of the Association of German Consumers, said consumers are heeding the call.

“Many consumers are concerned about climate change,” said Billen. “They want to do something and not wait until government or companies take action.”

Switching to so-called eco-electricity providers means consumers can help reduce their CO2 emissions, he added.

A wide range of green power providers have sprung up like mushrooms on the German market.

Deutsche Welle