A senator has complained to the Advertising Standards Authority of Ireland about “100% renewable energy” claims by two more electricity providers.
Sinn Fein’s Lynn Boylan has accused SSE Airtricity and Pinergy of “greenwashing”.
It follows her case against Energia, when the ASAI ruled they were “misleading” customers by saying they could provide “100 per cent green energy to your home” and banned electric firms from making such claims.
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Energy providers can’t claim all the power they provide is renewable since only 30-40 per cent of Ireland’s electricity comes from renewables.
And even if they only buy power from renewable sources, it goes into the grid where it is mixed with electricity generated by burning gas, oil, coal and wood chippings before reaching homes.
In the complaints, which we’ve seen, Ms Boylan hit out at Pinergy’s online campaign saying it is “supplying 100% renewable energy to thousands of families and businesses throughout Ireland”.
She also complained about SSE Airtricity’s “This is Generation Green” advertising online and on television.
Ms Boylan also asked ASAI: “As this is a complaint about something the ASAI has already settled, and given adjudications have an industry-wide application, I would be interested to know if there is a more speedy process that can be followed than the usual complaints process.”
She told us: “I have submitted complaints to the Advertising Standards Authority of Ireland regarding two energy providers’ misleading claims of 100% renewable energy.
“Pinergy and SEE Airtricity both claimed to be selling electricity that is more sustainable than it really is – a textbook example of greenwashing.
“Pinergy’s online ad said ‘supplying 100% renewable energy to thousands of families and businesses throughout Ireland’ while SSE Airtricity’s ad said ‘choose a greener world every time you flip a switch’.
“You don’t just have to take my word for it. The Advertising Standards Authority of Ireland made an adjudication against Energia for the exact same practice only a matter of a few weeks ago in April.
“The ASAI needs to act quickly, and not wait over a year to act. This is a test for the advertising authority. Do their decisions set a precedent? If so, they need to order SSE Airtricity and Pinergy to take down the ads immediately.
“It is simply unacceptable to expect the public to remain vigilant to the torrent of greenwashing. The ASAI must uphold its responsibilities by ensuring that all advertising adhere to its code and the new industry standard its decisions set.”
Pinergy and SSE Airtricity have been contacted for comment.
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