100% Clean, Renewable Energy Doesn't Mean Expensive Energy for Homeowners

For many energy users—renters, homeowners, businesses and anyone who uses electricity in their day-to-day lives—the issue has been that cleaner energy alternatives are too expensive.

Others have faced electricity suppliers who promise low rates but charge hidden fees or scam potential customers with rate hikes immediately after the introductory "teaser" period.

The result is always the same: It's confusing and challenging to go greener, and inevitably energy users must pay more to support our clean energy revolution.

But no longer is this the case. Here are a few reasons why.

Clean energy is becoming more accessible worldwide than ever before

In 2020, global renewable energy capacity saw its highest year-on-year increase in two decades, with solar accounting for an estimated 90% of that. It's estimated that renewable capacity will continue to expand at a rapid rate in the coming years, as the International Energy Agency (IEA) suggests that renewables will soon account for almost 95% of the increase in all global power capacity, meeting the levels of fossil fuel and nuclear combined.

Aggressive government policies have helped drive this growth as every country recognizes the importance of transitioning to a more sustainable, renewable energy reliance in the future. These policies have led to innovation in the energy sector, which leads to lower costs of developing and generating renewable energy—and then those savings get passed on to the end consumer.

Electricity market deregulation created more choice, more competitive pricing

Before the 1990s, energy markets were regulated, meaning consumers had no choice but to purchase electricity from their local utility at government-regulated prices. However, this all started to change in 1992 with the passing of the Energy Policy Act which allowed third-party suppliers to enter the market and sell electricity to consumers.

In recent years, more states have implemented a deregulated energy market, offering their citizens a wider variety of clean energy options. The result is that more consumers than ever have the ability to choose greener options at significantly more competitive rates. And that choice is only getting easier because clean energy is also getting much cheaper. Furthermore, some states such as Massachusetts are also implementing Community Choice Electricity programs where they purchase a cleaner energy plan at bulk for their residents—and residents are automatically opted in.

Building new solar and wind plants is cheaper than running existing coal plants

In fact, solar PV is now consistently cheaper than coal and gas power plants in most countries thanks to increased demand, growing support from governments and corporations, and better technology. In some markets, the total cost of building and running new solar and wind plants has even decreased below the cost of running already existing coal plants.

Community solar projects are also coming online in more and more communities across the country, enabling consumers to save on their electricity costs while also supporting solar development. This is great news for our climate—and for everyday energy users.

Perch finds you an affordable 100% renewable energy plan at no extra effort

The widespread deregulation of energy markets across the U.S. means consumers can actually shop around the third-party electricity supplier marketplace and find a clean energy plan that doesn't break the bank.

Switching your home's electricity to 100% renewable sources is no longer as expensive as it used to be.

But shopping and comparing is a bit of a time drain—reading through tons of contracts, analyzing fine print around usage limits—and you have to watch out for deceptive tactics by the suppliers like offering an enticing introductory "teaser rate" only to jack up the price after one month.

Enter Perch. We'll handle all of that legwork for you—we've got your back. Perch's automated matching technology constantly monitors the supplier marketplace, finding you a low-cost plan based on your energy preference. When we find a great plan, we automatically switch you. No extra fees, no new contracts, no headaches.

By enabling our customers to choose from a variety of energy plans including Community Solar, Perch empowers everyday energy users to support our clean energy revolution and take advantage of the cost-savings of renewables—without the extra effort of navigating the marketplace, since we do it for you.

Together, we can accelerate our transition to a more sustainable energy future.