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| | | | | | | What difference will it make if I sign up? | | | | | Currently less than 3% of our electricity in the UK comes from green sources. Over the next few years there is expected to be a large growth in the development of renewable energy schemes. The government wants to increase renewable energy figure to 10% by 2010, reducing the UK’s CO2 emissions by 19 million tonnes/yr. | | | | | | | | | | You might think that your contribution would be so small that you can't really make a difference, but remember that by signing up for green electricity, not only are you ensuring that you are helping to reduce pollution, you are also sending a powerful message to electricity companies to invest more in renewable energy technologies. This is vital if we are to really tackle the environmental problems we all face. | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | How can I make sure the power is really green? | | | | | As a consumer, you may be concerned about how to identify real green power products. As the utility industry begins to restructure, numerous suppliers label their product mix 'green.' | | | | | | | | | | Future Energy is an accreditation scheme for renewable energy in the UK, that is operated by The Energy Saving Trust. It vets and audits renewable energy offerings from electricity suppliers. This allows consumers to be confident about electricity supplier's claims about renewable energy. All the suppliers on our website, have had their green electricity products accredited by Future Energy. | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | How does it work? | | | | | There are two simple options available: | | | | | | | | | | Supply: The amount of electricity you use each year is matched by purchases of renewable energy by your energy supplier. So for every unit of harmful electricity you use you can be sure it will be replaced with a renewable one. | | | | | | | | | | Fund: You can choose to pay into a fund to support future investments in new renewable energy. The amount you pay is put together with contributions from other consumers into a special fund (often supplemented by the supplier). This money is then used to develop and introduce new renewable plants. | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | How much does green power cost? | | | | | The cost of electricity generated from renewable resources such as solar and wind can be higher than the cost of electricity generated by traditional inexpensive methods like coal. When purchasing a green power product, your money is going towards the technology it takes to produce the energy. This is then fed into the main power grid. As demand for green power increases, more cost-effective methods for renewable generation will be built resulting in a lower cost for consumers. | | | | | | | | | | In general, for a typical domestic household (using 3,300kWh electricity/yr), the average cost of switching to a green tariff will be between £5-£35/yr more than what you would normally pay on your regional companies standard domestic tariff. If you choose to switch to a more competitive supplier however, you could actually go green and still save money. Try our calculator for the latest comparisons. | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | Will Green power come straight to my home? | | | | | No. The electricity supplied to your home is part of the national power grid. The grid combines all power sources in a regional pool, so there is no way to separate the electricity generated from renewable sources and non-renewable sources. In selecting a green offer, the supplier is indicating that they are purchasing their electricity from renewable energy sources. When you purchase green power you are sending a message to electricity providers that they should purchase electricity from renewable resources. | | | | | | | |
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