OVO Energy


OVO Energy Fuel Mix

OVO Energy Fuel Mix

All energy suppliers are required to provide information about the mix of fuels they use to generate the electricity they supply to their customers. Energy suppliers also need to disclose the environmental impact of this fuel mix.

This information is known as the Fuel Mix Disclosure and is published annually.

Shown below are OVO Energy’s Fuel Mix Disclosures for the last 10 years. We will update this page with the latest Fuel Mix Disclosures as they become available. The next update, for the year to 31 March 2020, is due in October 2020.

OVO Energy fuel mix policy

OVO Energy has pledged that, from the 1st October 2019, all of its energy plans will be sourced from 50% renewable electricity as standard. This pledge will not yet appear in the data below as the 2019/2020 fuel mix data will not be published until October 2020.

In addition to its standard energy plans (Better, 2 Year Fixed and Simpler) OVO Energy offers 2 optional ”green” upgrades for a fee. The first option offers customers 100% renewable electricity, plus 5 trees planted on the customer’s behalf, for an additional monthly fee of £5. Or, for an additional monthly fee of £6, customers get 100% renewable electricity and 100% carbon neutral gas.

OVO Energy currently only sources electricity from renewables and gas. They have taken nuclear and coal out of their fuel mix since April 2014.

The decision to dump coal is understandable. It is the most carbon-intensive energy source around so doesn’t fit well with any company pursuing environmental goals

Electricity generation from nuclear, on the other hand, produces zero carbon emissions. However, the company’s view is that “there is no safe, reliable solution for dealing with the radioactive waste that nuclear plants leave behind. And we don’t want to put any dangerous waste in the ground”.

Consequently, while OVO Energy at least partially promotes itself as a greener energy supplier, its carbon emissions have bounced around from year to year as the gas proportion in their fuel mix has varied. Overall, since OVO Energy ditched coal and nuclear from their fuel mix, their carbon emissions have stayed below the UK average in 4 of the last 5 years.

OVO Energy Energy Fuel Mix 2018/2019

The table below shows the OVO Energy Fuel Mix Disclosure for the period 1 April 2018 to 31 March 2019.

Energy SourceOVO EnergyUK Average
Source: BEIS, OVO Energy
Coal0.0%5.20%
Natural gas61%41.40%
Nuclear0.0%18.70%
Renewables39%32.80%
Other fuels0.0%1.90%
CO2 emissions (g/kWh)212208
High-level radioactive waste (g/kWh)00.007

OVO Energy’s fuel mix was split between natural gas and renewables, in line with its fuel purchase policy.  However, its CO2 emissions were above the national average due to the high percentage of gas used. High-level radioactive waste production was zero.

The high proportion of gas used also meant that CO2 emissions where higher than in the previous year.

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OVO Energy Fuel Mix 2017/2018

The table below shows the OVO Energy Fuel Mix Disclosure for the period 1 April 2017 to 31 March 2018.

Energy SourceOVO EnergyUK Average
Source: BEIS, OVO Energy
Coal0.0%7.64%
Natural gas57.1%41.24%
Nuclear0.0%20.01%
Renewables42.9%29.04%
Other fuels0.0%2.07%
CO2 emissions (g/kWh)204232
High-level radioactive waste (g/kWh)00.007

CO2 emissions were 12% below the UK average due to the high proportion of renewables in the fuel mix. However, CO2 emissions per kWh of electricity generated jumped by over 60% vs the previous year as the proportion of renewables used fell by a third.

OVO Energy Fuel Mix 2016/2017

The table below shows the OVO Energy Fuel Mix Disclosure for the period 1 April 2016 to 31 March 2017.

Energy SourceOVO EnergyUK Average
Source: OVO Energy, BEIS, electricityinfo
Coal0.0%8.5%
Natural gas35.3%44.1%
Nuclear0.0%21.0%
Renewables64.7%24.2%
Other fuels0.0%2.2%
CO2 emissions (g/kWh)127249
High-level radioactive waste (g/kWh)00.007

With almost two thirds of electricity consumed generated from renewables, CO2 emissions per kWh of electricity generated fell to almost half the UK average. This was OVO Energy’s standout year in terms of minimising its carbon footprint.

OVO EnergyFuel Mix 2015/2016

This table shows the OVO Energy Energy Fuel Mix Disclosure for the period 1 April 2015 to 31 March 2016.

Energy SourceOVO EnergyUK Average
Source: OVO Energy, BEIS, electricityinfo
Coal0%17.0%
Natural gas46.9%32.3%
Nuclear0%23.7%
Renewables53.1%24.3%
Other fuels0%2.5%
CO2 emissions (g/kWh)183292
High-level radioactive waste (g/kWh)00.007

With over half of electricity consumed generated from renewables, CO2 emissions per kWh of electricity generated fell 42% over the previous year. Consequently, they were 37% below the UK average for the year.

OVO EnergyFuel Mix 2014/2015

This table shows the OVO Energy Energy Fuel Mix Disclosure for the period 1 April 2014 to 31 March 2015.

Energy SourceOVO EnergyUK Average
Source: OVO Energy, BEIS, electricityinfo
Coal0%26.7%
Natural gas84.6%29.7%
Nuclear0%22.2%
Renewables15.4%19.3%
Other fuels0%2.1%
CO2 emissions (g/kWh)321363
High-level radioactive waste (g/kWh)00.007

This was the first full year in which OVO Energy made the transition away from coal and nuclear. This resulted in its CO2 emissions per kWh of electricity generated to fall by a third, to 12% below the UK average.

OVO EnergyFuel Mix 2013/2014

This table shows the OVO Energy Energy Fuel Mix Disclosure for the period 1 April 2013 to 31 March 2014.

Energy SourceOVO EnergyUK Average
Source: OVO Energy, BEIS, electricityinfo
Coal39.3%34%
Natural gas22.7%25.6%
Nuclear7.0%21.6%
Renewables26.1%16.7%
Other fuels4.9%2.1%
CO2 emissions (g/kWh)486421
High-level radioactive waste (g/kWh)0.0060.008

In all periods up to and including 2013/2014 OVO energy purchased electricity from a wide range of generation sources although with a bias towards renewables and away from nuclear. As a result the amount of high-level radioactive waste from its electricity was well below the UK average. However as it sometimes ended up binging on coal to make up the balance, its CO2 emissions would vary widely from year to year and sometimes went over the UK average.

OVO EnergyFuel Mix 2012/2013

This table shows the OVO Energy Energy Fuel Mix Disclosure for the period 1 April 2012 to 31 March 2013.

Energy SourceOVO EnergyUK Average
Source: OVO Energy, BEIS, electricityinfo
Coal43.4%38.4%
Natural gas25.5%27.7%
Nuclear3.9%20.6%
Renewables23.9%11.3%
Other fuels3.3%2.0%
CO2 emissions - overall average514469
High-level radioactive waste (g/kWh)0.0040.009

Unfortunately, this was one of those years where OVO’s over reliance on coal in its fuel mix pushed its CO2 emissions to 10% above the UK average.

OVO EnergyFuel Mix 2011/2012

This table shows the OVO Energy Energy Fuel Mix Disclosure for the period 1 April 2011 to 31 March 2012.

Energy SourceOVO EnergyUK Average
Source: OVO Energy, BEIS. electricityinfo
Coal24.3%29.2%
Natural gas39.3%40.7%
Nuclear4.7%19.1%
Renewables28.5%9.2%
Other fuels3.2%1.8%
CO2 emissions - overall average292434
High-level radioactive waste (g/kWh)0.0040.009

OVO EnergyFuel Mix 2010/2011

This table shows the OVO Energy Energy Fuel Mix Disclosure for the period 1 April 2010 to 31 March 2011.

Energy SourceOVO EnergyUK Average
Source: OVO energy, BEIS, electricityinfo
Coal26.0%28.9%
Natural gas35.0%44.2%
Nuclear4.0%17.3%
Renewables32.0%7.9%
Other fuels3.0%1.7%
CO2 emissions - overall average393450
High-level radioactive waste (g/kWh)0.0040.010

OVO EnergyFuel Mix 2009/2010

This table shows the OVO Energy Energy Fuel Mix Disclosure for the period 1 April 2009 to 31 March 2010.

Energy SourceOVO EnergyUK Average
Source: OVO Energy, BEIS, electricityinfo
Coal30.0%25.8%
Natural gas39.0%47.7%
Nuclear14.0%18.0%
Renewables15.0%6.6%
Other fuels2.0%1.9%
CO2 emissions - overall average418413
High-level radioactive waste (g/kWh)Not available0.010

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