EST. 2013
Advance Corporate and Employee Sustainability Efforts with Energy Ogre
Published on Aug 24, 2023
Energy Ogre is a consumer advocate that helps Texans lower their retail electricity bill. Since 2014, we’ve managed the electricity contracts for more than 250,000 Texans statewide. Dating back to just 2018, we’ve saved our members more than $243 million by securing them into the best, fixed-rate plan available.
We are now offering two exciting new programs that will help even more Texans reduce their electricity expenses:
1. Business and Workforce Sustainability Program: allows companies to reduce their carbon footprint by supporting renewable energy generation via Energy Ogre’s purchase and retirement of renewable energy credits (REC) on the company’s behalf for their location(s) and even its employees.
2. Corporate Benefits and Employee Perks: allows companies to provide our convenient, money-saving service for their employees.
Energy Ogre's team of industry experts has decades worth of energy experience. Together, we can evaluate your businesses' sustainability goals, create consumer profiles for your employees' electricity usage, and identify ways to increase ESG Reporting. If you are interested in further exploring the opportunity, please complete this contact form.
Keep reading below for a high-level summary of the programs, and how your company can benefit from the different offerings.
Business and Workforce Sustainability Program
This new program is designed for companies interested in immediately or even retroactively improving their ESG and Sustainability goals. To do so, we’d like to offer a customized proposal for each prospective partner. This would allow our energy industry experts to create a plan of action that aligns with the goals of your organization.
One easy way for us to achieve those goals would be to provide your company with the necessary RECs to demonstrate and materialize your support of renewable energy.
In Texas, RECs represent electricity generated from renewable sources. When a renewable energy generator produces a certain amount of electricity (usually 1,000 kilowatt-hours or 1 megawatt-hour) from sources like wind, solar, hydro, or biomass, it earns a REC. This REC can then be bought and sold separately from the actual electricity, allowing individuals and organizations to claim the environmental benefits of supporting renewable energy, even if they did not directly use the renewable electricity in real-time or in the past.
These RECs are often used to track and meet renewable energy goals, satisfy regulatory requirements, and allow consumers to support clean energy development. Since wind power is a significant contributor to the state's energy mix, the sale and purchase of Texas renewable energy credits associated with wind energy are quite relevant.
In a nutshell, since Texans can’t decide to use renewable or non-renewable energy for their electricity in real-time, RECs are an official guarantee that renewable energy sources are being used and supported instead of non-renewable resources like coal, natural gas, or oil.
Driving Sustainability While Addressing Employee Concerns
Nowadays, with environmental concerns becoming increasingly important, consumers care more about a company’s environmental impact. But besides the consumers, the workforce cares as well.
According to Deloitte Insights, “Fifty percent of Gen Zs and 46% of millennials say they are pressuring businesses to act on climate change.” And this doesn’t stop at the companies; young professionals are also concerned about what they can do individually.
In an era where many work from home, staying environmentally conscious may become too costly as described in the following quote from the report mentioned earlier:
While six in 10 Gen Zs and millennials are willing to pay more for sustainable products and services, more than half think it will become harder or impossible for them to continue to do so if the economic situation does not improve.
Seen in the graphic below, costs are starting to increase for Mid and Higher-income groups as well.
(Source: Deloitte)
So, how do RECs work as far as benefiting your company? Well, purchasing RECs can be a strategic decision for a company that wants to demonstrate its commitment to sustainability, reduce its environmental impact, and align its brand with renewable energy goals. Here is some further explanation on why a company might consider buying RECs for their employees:
- Environmental Impact: RECs represent the environmental benefits of renewable energy generation. By purchasing RECs, a company can offset its carbon footprint and contribute to the growth of renewable energy sources.
- Sustainability Goals: Purchasing RECs is a tangible way to support company goals involving sustainable electrical solutions and showcase the company's dedication to customers, investors, employees, and the public.
- Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR): Corporate social responsibility involves taking actions that benefit society and the environment beyond profit generation. Buying RECs demonstrates a company's commitment to being a responsible corporate citizen, which can improve its reputation and foster goodwill among stakeholders.
- Employee Engagement: Workforces, particularly younger generations, often value working for environmentally conscious companies. Offering renewable energy options, such as the use of RECs, can boost employee morale and engagement, making the company more attractive to potential employees and reducing turnover.
Now, how does a company start the process of providing RECs or other energy saving avenues to their employees? The answer is Energy Ogre.
Corporate Benefits and Employee Perks Program
This program closely aligns with our core business, where we manage the electricity accounts for homeowners and renters throughout the competitive energy markets in Texas.
As a result of a confusing marketplace and the large influx of new Texans, millions of people across the state do not understand how to shop wisely for their next plan. More times than not, this leads to bad consumer outcomes and unnecessary overpaying for electricity — often up to $2,000 per year for homeowners. Here are some of the types of Texans who are most likely to overpay for electricity:
- New International or Out-of-State Employees
- Remote/Hybrid Workers
- Large Families/Properties
- Multi-Property Owners
Energy Ogre offers access to fully renewable plans, without consumers having to install any equipment in their home as well!
Texans should not have to struggle to find an energy plan that fits their needs. Energy Ogre is a consumer advocate that helps Texans lower their retail electricity bill and more!
This program allows companies to provide our convenient, money-saving service for their employees as either:
- An employer sponsored, pre-paid membership for the employee to enroll into the best renewable plan on the market.
- A new benefit that is offered through some HR integration, such as a “cafeteria plan” benefits offering.
- An employee perk that is promoted through the organization’s communications tools, such as an intranet page, staff newsletter, Slack channel, etc.
When determining how your business can better respond to the ongoing climate challenge, we encourage businesses to start with their employees. 71% of U.S. adults have already made changes to reduce their environmental impact—and they’re open to making more. Employers can help their employees opt into more sustainable solutions, such as Energy Ogre.
For businesses, presenting their employees with more environmentally friendly solutions will foster a culture of sustainability. This culture of sustainability will create a more attractive working environment, increase opportunities for ESG Reporting, and pay long term dividends for the stability of the business.
If you’re interested in exploring either or both programs, please click the button below.
Curious about what others think of Energy Ogre? Take a look at our reviews page!
Other articles you may be interested in:
