Stamford, Connecticut-based “green” energy retailer Viridian Energy, announced the launch of Minus-5 on September 30 – describing it as “a revolutionary new rate plan” that offers a predictable, low price on electricity and natural gas in the 12 energy choice markets that the company serves.
According to Viridian, Minus-5 adds to the company’s range of rate plans, allowing consumers in deregulated energy markets to select a rate scheme that meets their specific needs –savings, price certainty, or flexibility – all while helping to enable a significant, positive, environmental impact through the use of responsible energy products.
Specifically, Minus-5 rates are set monthly at 5 percent below the Viridian Utility Price Index (UPI) for each utility. This means that Minus-5 rates will fluctuate as utility rates do, but that the Minus-5 rate always will be 5 percent below the utility rate.
With Minus-5, Viridian claims, “Customers receive the same responsible energy [we are] known for: electricity that's more than 50 percent renewable, and natural gas that is backed by carbon offsets purchased to represent 25 percent of natural gas customers’ total usage.”
In addition, Viridian contributes to the Simply Right Natural Gas Fund on behalf of its natural gas customers. This fund benefits organizations that support research and innovation leading to cleaner and safer natural gas extraction, and advocate for increased transparency and accountability in the natural gas sector.
Viridian customers also are eligible to expand their positive environmental impact with the addition of goGREENER or goCLEANER. When a customer purchases goGREENER, Viridian buys Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) that help that customer avoid an additional 9,121 pounds of carbon emissions each year. When a customer purchases goCLEANER, Viridian purchases carbon offsets on behalf of that customer that allow him or her to avoid the same amount of carbon as is absorbed by 3.3 acres of U.S. forest in a year.
“Since 2009, thousands of Viridian customers have made individual energy choices that added up to a powerful, collective impact – with over 5 billion pounds of CO2 avoided,” Viridian founder and CEO Michael Fallquist explained. “People shouldn’t have to choose between their wallets and helping the planet.”
