Hourly clean energy tariffs: what’s working, what’s hard, and what’s next

A growing number of hourly clean energy tariffs are now live. Not just in theory or in a white paper. Swathes of energy consumers across the world are now receiving information on their hourly matching score from their supplier.

To understand the story of how these tariffs and offers have gone live, Granular Energy’s Benedict Shegog spoke to teams at three suppliers who’ve launched hourly matching products: JERA in Japan, A2A in Italy, and Ecotricity in the UK.

The post catalogues some of the lessons learnt from designing and launching these next generation tariffs. There are nuances between each of the suppliers, but their answers show that hourly matching is no longer a novelty. It’s a product category. And it is accelerating.

Demand drivers

At JERA Cross, the shift to hourly was driven by responsibility. The company supplies a third of Japan’s electricity. Its CTO Shimpei Ohsugi was clear: decarbonising Japan requires real action from the utilities. So they built an hourly offering from the ground up. And once they started talking to customers like Tokyo Metro, the interest was immediate.

In the UK, Ecotricity’s New Propositions Manager Dai Wilson shared a different perspective. Ecotricity is seeing demand coming from business customers who need to comply with frameworks like the UK Green Building Council (UKGBC), RE100, or in preparation for the expected changes to the Greenhouse Gas Protocol. Hourly matching meets those needs without shortcuts.

In Italy, A2A’s Business Analyst Martina Saitta sees similar demand from international corporates with an Italian operation who want a transparent, auditable view of their energy. The typical Italian energy consumer is just waking up to hourly clean energy, so it’s the larger international brands that are the first movers. They want to be able to say they are not just buying clean power but using it when it’s actually being generated. Hourly matching gives them that capability.

This is not about early adopters anymore. The first wave of customers is already live. And the second wave is showing up fast.

Education is essential

One of the clearest signals from suppliers is that customers are not just ready for hourly clean energy—they're eager to understand it.

At JERA in Japan, the concept of hourly matching was new to the market, but not hard to introduce. “Nobody disagrees,” said CTO Shimpei Ohsugi. “Once we explained the idea, customers were quick to align with our vision.” Companies like Tokyo Metro saw the value immediately and signed on as an early customer.

A2A in Italy initially faced the challenge of explaining the hourly concept, but their educational approach is showing progress. The team focused on highlighting the transparency advantages over traditional annual matching systems, helping customers understand the value of more granular renewable energy tracking. While they recognised that premium pricing means primarily sustainability-focused clients are the early adopters, they're encouraged by changing customer attitudes. Through continued education efforts, A2A is building understanding of why hourly renewable energy offers greater environmental credibility, and they remain optimistic that more clients will embrace this approach as awareness grows.

Ecotricity also invested heavily in education, making use of materials provided by Granular Energy. “People want clarity,” the team said. “We explain how the hourly score is calculated and how Ecotricity ensures that certificates aren’t double counted. Customers are then able to ask thoughtful questions. They want to know how it works.”

This kind of engagement is a strong signal. Customers aren’t pushing back – they’re leaning forward. The more they learn, the more they value what’s being offered.

Hourly matching gives suppliers a better product and gives customers a better story. The education curve is real, but it’s not a roadblock. It’s a fast-moving ramp.

Impact on procurement

All three suppliers have changed how they buy energy.

JERA is exploring Battery Energy Storage System (BESS). A2A is using hourly insights to drive investment in capacity and engage customers in managing their own demand. Ecotricity is renegotiating Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) to support data transparency and third-party verification.

This is not cosmetic. It’s structural. Hourly matching introduces a set of incentives. You cannot just buy renewable energy and apply across time. You need coverage for every hour. That creates new financial signals and new market behaviour.

This is where hourly matching goes from a marketing claim to an engine of grid transformation.

This is the new standard

Every one of these suppliers sees hourly matching as the future. Not as an optional add-on. As the default. Each of the suppliers indicated that the greatest accelerant would be regulatory change, but even in the absence of this they see hourly as the direction of travel.

At industry conferences, hourly matching is no longer a niche topic. It is in every session. Customers are asking about it. Product teams are building for it. Policy teams are preparing for it.

This is what market shift looks like. Not a press release. Not a pilot. Actual change in what gets bought, what gets built, and what gets valued.

Lessons learnt

The experience of these three suppliers reveals several crucial design principles for hourly tariffs. First, transparency isn't optional – customers need to understand both the methodology and the limitations of hourly matching. All three teams invested heavily in education materials and direct explanation, finding that customer engagement increased rather than decreased when complexity was acknowledged rather than hidden.

Second, pricing strategies require careful calibration. Premium pricing works for sustainability-committed customers, but suppliers need clear value propositions beyond environmental benefits. The most successful approaches tied hourly matching to business outcomes: compliance requirements, reporting capabilities, or competitive differentiation in their own markets.

Finally, the customer education curve proved steeper but shorter than anticipated. While initial conversations required significant explanation, customers who understood the concept became advocates quickly. The key insight: don't oversimplify the offering, but do invest in making the complexity accessible. Customers want to understand what they're buying, especially when they're paying more for it.