Majority of customers accept renewables costs reveals opinion poll

As Germany's energy companies announce upcoming electricity price hikes and push the blame, in part, on support costs for renewable energies, consumers seem unshaken in their support for green power. An opinion poll by Emnid on behalf of Greenpeace revealed that 80% of those questioned accept the additional cost of renewables -- currently about EUR 0.004/kWh of the average electricity price to householders of EUR 0.19/kWh. Furthermore, respondents placed the environment third on their scale of worries, behind Germany's poor economic situation and the state of the social system, but deemed it more serious than worries about war and terrorist attacks, says Greenpeace. "People have long since recognised that alternatives to oil and gas are urgently needed," says Peter Ahmels from wind association Bundesverband Windenergie.