The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is advising how consumers and businesses can establish what benefits their green electricity tariff delivers above and beyond the supplier's existing legal obligation to provide electricity from renewable sources.

Environment Secretary Hilary Benn said: "I want to make sure that the green tariff market, which has grown rapidly over recent years, is clear for consumers and businesses about the precise benefit their tariff brings.

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"Many energy suppliers offer green tariffs to businesses and domestic customers who want to make a contribution to environmental projects or help tackle climate change, but these differ in what they deliver."

Mr Benn said: "This market is changing rapidly, partly because we have committed to the largest expansion of renewable electricity in our history. We will shortly be consulting on a range of measures that will encourage energy suppliers to increase their investment in renewable energy.

"I want to be sure that people and businesses who buy green tariffs have clear information about what environmental benefits they are getting linked to renewable electricity and whether this is in addition to that which energy suppliers must provide anyway. As with any product in the marketplace, we need to know what we are paying for, particularly as in some cases, choosing the tariff may cost more."

(CD/JM)