There are more than a dozen energy suppliers in the UK and increasingly families are shopping around to find themselves a better deal. Price remains the most compelling factor when it comes to swapping providers but there are other considerations, perhaps most importantly whether or not you want to go green. Confused? Well, you wouldn’t be alone, as very few people know that switching to a green or renewable energy supplier is even an option. However, if you are serious about reducing your carbon footprint, as we all should be, then green energy is definitely something worth exploring.
What is green energy?
Green energy can take two forms. There is truly renewable energy generated from sources such as the sun, wind and waves and there is non renewable green energy which harnesses energy usually wasted from other forms of energy production. Good Energy is the only supplier to offer 100% Green energy. Whether it comes from fossil fuels, nuclear reactors or renewable sources all energy in the UK comes together at the national before being supplied to your home. Green energy suppliers ensure that the amount of green energy which enters the grid is sufficient to cover their customers’ needs. The more customers they supply, the more green energy goes in. In essence you are helping to clean up the countries’ energy pool.
The importance of green energy
People are increasingly aware of their carbon footprint and of their need to reduce it. Moving over to a green energy supplier is one of the best ways to achieve this. Nearly three-quarters of manmade greenhouse gases are created through burning fossil fuels to supply our energy demands an entirely unsustainable future. In the UK over 90% of households have their energy supplied by one of the Big Six energy providers and while they do make use of some of the renewable energy in the UK, it only makes up a small fraction of their output. By going green not only are you helping to clean up the energy pool, you are also sending out a clear message to the large providers that they need to invest more heavily in renewable energy.
Is going green more expensive?
Unfortunately at the current time the answer to this is yes, green energy suppliers do tend to be a little more expensive than their rivals but sometimes it’s worth paying a little more. Recent years have seen a huge increase in the number of people buying free range eggs and chickens. Yes, they were a little dearer but people deemed it a justified expense. The same is true of green energy. And whilst prices may be slightly higher at present, in the future that could quickly change. Two-thirds of our energy comes from imported resources, which means we are constantly at the mercy of influences outside of our control. By harvesting our own renewable energy in the UK, energy prices will not be susceptible to the inevitable price hikes which fossil fuels will experience.
Changing to a green energy supplier may not be on the top of everyone’s to do list but if you are serious about reducing the negative impact your energy demands have on the environment then do some more research, compare prices and seriously consider the benefits of going green.