Looking to source electricity in an environmentally friendly way? Here's how to get the best green energy deals.
As well as looking to save money, more and more of us are looking to save the planet while we do it. We’re helped by a growing number of different energy companies which offer green electricity tariffs.
How does green electricity work?
The government is keen to be seen as doing its bit to help the environment and have set some ambitious targets. Their aiming for more and more of the UK’s energy to berenewable energy, and to do that they’re encouraging us all to get involved.
Green energy is coming from a growing number of sources. Here are a few:
Wind power:
There’s no shortage of wind in this country which is why wind energy from off shore windfarms account for the largest amount of renewable energy.
Solar power:
Despite the lack of sunshine in the UK solar power is still becoming more popular, both with plants producing the power and individuals installing solar panels to their homes.
Biogass:
Material from waste plant matter is increasingly being burned and used to generate electricity.
How can I get involved?
There are several ways you can do your bit. The first is to opt for a traditional electricity company offering a so-called green electricity deal. These may ensure that for every bit of electricity you use, an identical amount of green energy is produced. Others offer options in which they take the money from your bills and invest it into renewable energy projects.
Predictably, being so eco-aware comes at a bit of a cost. A green electricity bill will normally be a little more expensive and some might argue it’s a bit of a fudge – taking energy from conventional sources, but still attempting to package it as green.
Many companies would be investing this money in green energy in any case, as this is undoubtedly a source of future revenue for them, so you could be paying extra for no reason at all.
A more direct way to do this is to get your energy directly from renewable sources. While once upon a time this was extremely difficult to do there are more options now than ever before.
You can try switching to a specialist green electricity company, which generates electricity from renewable sources, or you could even start generating your own electricity, which has all sorts of benefits.
Green electricity benefits
The biggest benefit about generating your own green energy is that you could have a change to make money.
The government is keen to encourage us all to reduce our carbon footprint and is offering all sorts of incentives designed to support those who want to generate their own natural energy.
One of the most popular are feed in tariffs which offer a financial incentive for you to install renewable energy systems – particularly solar panels – to your house.
Feed in tariffs work by paying a subsidy for every kilowatt hour of energy you produce. These have come down from the sky high levels of recent times but are still worth looking at.
As well as cutting down on your electricity bills, you’ll also get the chance to sell energy back to the national grid and get money back in that way.
Although such systems can be expensive to install, the Government’s green deal scheme may allow you to offset the cost against your bill. In essence you’ll pay nothing upfront, but repay the money through your bills. It’s like a loan with the added benefit that it remains with the bill payer rather than following you.
So, if you’re looking to go green there are more options than ever before. While it may cost a little you’ll be happy in the knowledge that you’re doing your bit for the environment.
Plus, if you take the time to compare green electricity companies to find the cheapest tariff for your usage you can get some great deals.
