O
ver the past year, I’ve cut out single-use plastic, shopped locally, cleaned beaches and learned to cook without waste - but I have yet to get my head around green energy. A study* found that while two thirds of people want to make their lifestyle more sustainable, only five per cent have considered switching to a renewable energy supplier. Fossil fuels coal, oil and gas heat the atmosphere and add greatly to the climate crisis, with 40 per cent of UK emissions coming from our homes.** By using renewable energy, the average household could cut carbon emissions by the equivalent of four flights from London to New York a year.† Now that’s worth considering!
What goes out must go in
For a while, I’ve used a company that describes itself as ‘the UK’s biggest green energy supplier’ but, after closer inspection, I’m still in the dark about what that means. Unless you have your own generator or solar panels, all energy arrives at your home from the national grid - but what your chosen company contributes to that pot of energy makes all the difference. I’ve realised that while many suppliers call themselves green, I want to support those that generate enough renewable electricity to match customers’ use; or that buy the equivalent from renewable generators. Green marketing words don’t necessarily mean the supplier actually generates renewable energy.