Consumers are all too aware of the global warming issue, and many of us are seeking ways to reduce our carbon footprints. Now green energy has arrived, we can all do our bit to ensure that our household gas and electricity supplies come from greener sources, and here we explain how.
Green energy is really just another term for sources of energy that are sustainable and environmentally-friendly. There are several green energy sources available to us now, and at least 4.9 per cent of the energy supplied by gas and electricity companies now has to be provided by at least one of these green energy sources.
1. Solar power transforms the energy we receive from the sun into power for our homes, while wind power harnesses wind energy for the same purpose. We already obtain some of our energy from hydroelectricity, which is when we convert energy in flowing water to electricity. And lastly there is biomass fuel, where natural materials are burnt to provide energy for households.
2. We can all help to increase the level of green energy produced by signing up to the green tariff options now available from the majority of energy companies. There are usually two tariffs to choose from, and either one will lead to an increase in green power.
3. The two forms of eco-friendly energy tariffs that tend to be available are green fund, and green supply. Green fund tariff types use the extra money that you pay for this tariff to invest in sustainable power sources. Green supply tariffs mean that for every unit of power you use, a unit of green energy is produced.
4. Environmentally-friendly energies are attractive to us as they do not produce any damaging waste, unlike the burning of fossil fuels which emits toxic CO2. Using sustainable sources of energy will also help to provide stability as stocks of green energy will never run out, unlike oil, coal and gas. This would mean an end to the energy price rises and crashes we see today.
5. You do not need any fancy equipment or to have anything installed in order to change to a green tariff. It is as easy as swapping to any other gas or electricity rate. Simply call your gas and electricity company to see if they have an environmentally-friendly rate that you can switch to, or use the internet to find a range of energy companies that offer this green energy rates.
Green energy rates can be more expensive, so if you cannot afford this rate increase, what can you do? Take a look at gas and electricity company websites, and see where they source their power from. By law, all energy companies must now make this information available to you, so use this power to find a company that is more environmentally-conscious.
British Gas can service all of your gas, electric and central heating boilers requirements.