Firm Adds ‘Renewable Energy Surchage’ To Customer Bills

July 10, 2008

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Many businesses are forcing customers to pay fuel surcharges these days, but how about a renewable energy surcharge?

San Francisco’s Sherwood Design Engineers tacks on an extra 0.05% to bills in order to buy renewable-energy credits, the Wall Street Journal reports. The company says no one has complained.

The company wanted to install solar or wind power on the roof, but the landlord nixed it. So the company, and its customers, are paying for carbon offsets instead.

Wall Street Journal readers had some interesting responses to the article – here’s our favorite:

“Couldn’t they just bill more and not charge a separate fee? Same effect, and if their prices are competitive I doubt a .05% increase (that’s a 15-cent increase on a $300/hourly fee) is going to cause people to switch engineering firms.”

Here’s Sherwood’s take on it.

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