According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the global carbon emissions from fossil fuels have drastically increased by 90% since the 1970s. Not only are these sources harmful to the environment, but they are also finiteーmeaning they’ll eventually run out.
This is why renewable energy is a more sustainable option. There are various companies that provide renewable energy, and one of them is CleanChoice Energy.
This article will explain everything you need to know about CleanChoice Energy: what it is, what it offers, and better alternatives.
How does CleanChoice Energy work?
CleanChoice Energy is a retail electricity provider that offers renewable energy to residential and commercial customers in the United States. The energy company operates in Maryland and Washington D.C, and it has a certified wind and solar system that generates renewable energy to serve its customers.
CleanChoice Energy uses a system called “Community Solar,” which offers access to renewable energy. According to the company, the community solar subscription gives the benefits of going solar without installing solar panels on your roof. This method allows users to join a nearby solar farm that produces energy for the whole community. It is based on the company’s mission of making clean energy accessible to everyone.
CleanChoice Energy also offers products like “Clean Electricity,” a plan which enables users to make CleanChoice their energy supplier from wind and solar grid farms in the user’s region. CleanChoice Energy then cooperates with the user’s utility company to maintain the lines and provide energy bills – thereby eliminating all service calls, equipment, and installations.
Who Owns CleanChoice Energy?
Tom Matzzie founded CleanChoice Energy in 2012. The company is headquartered in Washington, D.C., and has an office in New York City. The founder grew up in an industrial area in Pennsylvania, and he witnessed the impacts of air pollution caused by burning coal and the detrimental effects on his health, safety, and community.
Mattzie’s experiences necessitated the need for a solution. He started installing solar energy in his home but realized how difficult it was. He created CleanChoice Energy as a convenient way for more people to choose and access clean energy without the difficulties of rooftop solar installations, contractor meetings, and site visits.
Is CleanChoice Energy More Expensive?
One of the benefits of using renewable energy is its cost-effectiveness in the long run. The World Economic Forum says that renewable energy is significantly undercutting fossil fuels as the world’s cheapest energy source.
The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) confirms this by stating that nearly two-thirds (62%) of renewables are more affordable than the cheapest fossil fuel, and the cost of renewable energy has been on a steady decline in recent years.
However, some providers like CleanChoice Energy might be more expensive than your current energy supplier. This article by Daily Beast showed that CleanChoice’s customers’ energy bills rose from $70 to $600 in 2020. The article revealed an increase in customer complaint rates.
While the company boasts of an innovative energy solution, it might not be the best alternative for everyone because of the price.
Cleanchoice Energy Pros and Cons
Now that we know about how CleanChoice Energy works and some of its features, let’s look at the pros and cons:
Pros
No Upfront Payments
One of the benefits of using CleanChoice Energy is that there are no upfront payments. Users don’t have to worry about rooftop solar installation or any other initial fees that may be associated with using renewable energy.
Community Solar & Joint Payments
CleanChoice Energy offers a community solar subscription which makes it possible for users to have access to renewable energy in their regions without worrying about maintenance fees, site visitations, government permits, and so on.
The plan allows users to pull resources for a community renewable energy because rooftop solar is not attached to one’s home. This way, the company can spread the cost of solar panels and installation among many users.
Easily Accessible
Another essential benefit CleanChoice Energy offers is easy accessibility. The energy company advocates its mission to make renewable energy accessible for all users, so they don’t need to worry about renewable energy sources even when they relocate. T
This means contracts can easily be transferred to a new address inside the utility’s service area when users move while it is still in effect. In contrast to rooftop solar, users may lose the solar panels they invested a lot of work and money into installing.
Renewable Energy Jobs
CleanChoice Energy is one of the largest employers of renewable energy jobs in the United States. The company has over two hundred employees and contractors and is looking to add more as it expands its operations.
Cons
Despite the benefits that come with using CleanChoice Energy, there are some cons users should be aware of:
High Prices
Critics say that CleanChoice Energy targets eco-conscious consumers with misleading promotions.
A New York-based CleanChoice Energy customer said, “I switched to CleanChoice Energy because I wanted to do the right thing from an environmental perspective. But after each month, the kilowatt-hour charge kept surging until it had gone up by nearly 15 cents, costing me more than double what I was paying before the switch.”
This is where a cost-effective, energy-conscious company like Alternative Sustainability (AS) comes in. AS offers patented products that reduce carbon footprints and raises improving grades – without raising costs.
AS provides a variety of energy-producing devices for all types of buildings and homes. These include Low Carbon PTACs and fan coil units that reduce gas usage up to 70% and T7 Exhaust Fans that cut electrical use by almost 70%.
Alternative Sustainability provides heating and cooling solutions that conserve energy, don’t break the bank, and save you thousands in energy costs on your residential, commercial, factory, and any other properties.
And, we’re getting rid of gas.
We’re actually the only company in the world that has clean energy-producing devices that work inside buildings, reduce CO2 gas, and help buildings & homeowners save money. All with an ROI of 3-5 years.
“Wait, did you say clean energy inside, not outside? That’s impossible, right?
Not at Alternative Sustainability! We have them and we have to patent for them as well.
Policy Violations
CleanChoice Energy has also been accused of policy violations. The Environmental Law & Policy Center (ELPC) filed a formal complaint at the Illinois Commerce Commission against CleanChoice Energy, Inc. (CleanChoice).
The complaint alleges that the company violated Part 412 of the Illinois Commerce Commission’s regulations, the Public Utilities Act, and the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act, relating to failure to disclose environmental information and price to compare.
Pricing Changes
Many customers also complained about a lack of communication regarding the price hike.
One of the things that drew me to CleanChoice was the price they used to promote their service, but they are silently raising the rates to the point where we were spending close to triple on the amount of our earlier energy bills,” a Pittsburgh-based customer says.
Downsides of Solar Energy
While solar energy has become a popular alternative to fossil fuels, it’s not the most energy or cost efficient solution.
Because CleanChoice Energy is subscription based, users don’t have to worry about paying $25,000 to $40,000 for installation costs, make sure they live in a suitable location, or have enough space to add solar panels to their residence.
But, the reliance on solar panels for energy isn’t sustainable as a whole.
Solar panels are very weather dependent: their efficiency changes drastically depending on where they are, the season, and the time of day.
No sun means no energy conversions. In fact, solar panels only average six hours of energy production per day. It’s no wonder CleanChoice has had drastic pricing increases.
They also require a lot of space (leading to habitat loss), can be damaged storms and other inclement weather, and are made up of toxic chemicals that are challenging to dispose of if a solar panel can no longer be used.
So what can consumers do? Choose a clean energy alternative that conserves energy, doesn’t break the bank, and saves thousands in energy costs on your residential, commercial, factory, and any other properties.
Cleanchoice Energy Alternatives
CleanChoice Energy has had its successes – but it’s not without controversies. If you’re looking for an eco-friendly and energy-efficient company, there are better alternatives to choose from.
One of these options is Alternative Sustainability (AS). Alternative Sustainability can:
- Cut gas use in buildings by up to 80%
- Produce more clean energy with turbines that go inside or on buildings and homes.
- Reduce your carbon footprint with the lowest cost, clean energy.
AS produces and distributes sophisticated, patented and patent-pending, energy-producing devices and carbon-lowering HVAC units. The energy-producing devices are designed to change the energy production picture and help buildings & homeowners save money while significantly reducing carbon gases.
There are truly no other products in the world that will help residential, commercial, and any other multi-unit building reduce their energy usage enough to meet the upcoming NYC building energy requirements.
The new Climate Mobilization Act will require all buildings over 25,000 square feet to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by 40% by 2030 – and 80% by 2050 relative to 2005 levels. Without Alternative Sustainability, it will be almost impossible to avoid the new fees and fines that will be placed on buildings with energy usage over the legal limits.
But we don’t just provide products: we’re also energy consultants and building experts who can review your building and tell you exactly the changes you need to make to improve your energy consumption and lower your carbon footprint. And, we’re working with developers to design near carbon neutral buildings.
If you’re interested in using a better alternative to CleanChoice Energy – or just are looking to reduce your energy spend while reducing costs – schedule a free building survey and consultation with Alternative Sustainability today.
