Your electricity is purchased at the same market that all electricity is purchased, supplied via the same electrical network, and of the same generation mix as all other people who use electricity at the same time as you.
That said, unlike other electrical suppliers, iO Energy employs a unique purchasing strategy that supports the deployment and use of renewably generated electricity.
How is iO Energy's electricity supply like other companies' electricity supply?
By law, all electricity supplied via Australia's Eastern electrical grid must be traded on the NEM (National Electricity Market), which is a wholesale electrical market. The electricity traded in the NEM is generated by a 'mix' of generators that are constantly bidding to supply the power Australian homes and businesses need over the short term (i.e. the next six seconds to five minutes).
Once the government accepts a generator's bid, the electricity generated is indistinguishably mixed with every other generators' electricity. So it's not possible to promise that a customer will receive only a certain type of electricity. Any companies that give you this impression are misleading you.
How is iO Energy's electricity supply unlike other companies' electricity supply?
iO Energy's approach to electrical supply means that you effectively vote for renewables with both your wallet and your feet, because we do not contract with coal or gas generators and we design electrical plans that encourage our customers to use as much renewable electricity as possible.
Us contracting with renewable generators is important because the NEM bidding process is not the be-all and end-all of electricity supply. Outside of the NEM your electricity retailer can make long-term financial agreements with certain generators in a way that effectively ensures that your electrical retailer only pays a certain generator(s).
You using as much renewable electricity as possible is important because financial contracts cannot change how you, your home, and/or your business actually use electricity. For example you may purchase electricity from a supplier that contracts with solar power generators, but if you only ever use electricity after dark you will never actually the electricity those solar panels generate (unless it is stored and re-injected by batteries).