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Green Energy

In the UK, around 75% of our electricity is used by burning coal and gas in power stations, releasing millions of tonnes of carbon dioxide, the gas responsible for climate change. As we see with our own eyes the impact of our energy is having on the environment, more and more of us are looking to reduce our carbon footprint. This can be done through the gas and electricity we choose and use – as the more energy you use, the greater the effect on the environment.

Compared to the rest of Europe, us Brits have a reputation as the worst energy wasters, with an average carbon footprint of 9.3 tonnes of carbon dioxide each year, according to the Energy Saving Trust’s Energy Affiance League.

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Green energy

With a green energy supplier, although the energy supplied is the same, the company that supplies it will generate the equivalent through more environmentally friendly means. These tariffs come in two forms:

•  Power supply – for every unit you use, it will be generated in an environmentally friendly way
•  Green funds – for every customer, the company will invest a certain amount into renewable energy projects

Green energy suppliers

Good Energy – for every unit of electricity you use, they will supply the national grid with a unit of electricity generated from renewable power sources
Green Energy 100 – for every unit of electricity you buy, they will buy one unit of green electricity
Ecotricity – for every unit of electricity you buy, it supplies 0.1 units of green electricity
Npower’s Juice ‘clean and green’ – for every unit of electricity you buy, it supplies one unit of green electricity
Scottish Power’s ‘Green energy fund’ – invests £15.75 per year per customer in green energy schemes
Powergen’s ‘GreenPlan’ – for every unit of electricity you use they will match it with one from a renewable source
EDF Energy’s ‘Green Tariff’ – for every unit of electricity you use they will match it with one from a renewable source

Generate your own energy

But if you’re really serious about going green, you may want to generate your energy from renewable sources, such as wind and solar power, but these are expensive to install.

•  The Energy Savings Trust promotes the use of greener energy  www.est.org.uk
•  www.greenenergy.org.uk  offers a complete list of PV-UK members, suppliers and installers