What can you do for you and the planet at the same time. The future’s bright, the future’s green? The chances of you reading about ‘Climate Change’ on a daily basis are fairly high these days. After all, the subject seems to dominate the headlines (although it hasn’t yet been linked to the stock market’s recent volatility!). Whilst many of us may proclaim a desire to “do our bit”, few of us in reality actually do. Some homeowners look at installing solar panels or mini-turbines but more often than not, these products are cost prohibitive, but there is another alternative – Carbon Offsetting. You’ve probably seen the latest advert from Powergen where Boxer dogs to children get covered in falling leaves till the advert closes with a view of an offshore windfarm Powergen’s way of getting you to turn from brown energy to green energy. About two-thirds of the electricity in your home is generated by burning coal and gas in power stations, which in turn pump out around six tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) per home per year. CO2 is the main gas responsible for climate change. According to the National Consumer Council (NCC), the domestic sector is responsible for just under a third of total UK CO2 emissions. Research carried out by the NCC, show that 64% of homeowners in the UK, said they would be willing to consider switching to a greener tariff for their energy supply. However, as there are currently only around 1% of households signed up to green tariffs, there is a considerable way to go. What Is ‘Going Green’ ‘Green energy’ means energy produced from friendly sources that are kinder to the environment than the traditional means of fuels such as gas and oil. Even green energy has some impact but using the cleanest sources available such as wind, solar and hydro power, more commonly known as renewable sources, is a much more efficient way of utilising the earth’s natural energy flow. Energy providers, along with a few specialist operators, offer green energy that currently accounts for around 4% of all energy generated within the UK. However, consumers still appear confused by what is on offer. Jonathan Stearn, Head of Campaign at Energywatch notes, “Low levels of trust and confusion are holding back the green energy market.” Suppliers may offer some or all of the products currently available and consumers need to choose how they would like their energy bills to benefit renewable sources. For example a green electricity supply tariff is where the supplier guarantees that its electricity arrives from renewable sources. Secondly there is a green energy fund tariff whereby the supplier invests the consumer’s premium into new renewable energy projects or perhaps your supplier will offset your CO2 emitted by planting trees or supporting projects in developing countries – commonly known as carbon offsetting. “I Want To Switch” The first steps that you should consider are to fully understand what tariff it is that you are switching to – consider providers such as Green Energy, which invests in renewable energy generation, and Scottish and Southern, which makes a donation of £10 to the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds for every new customer that signs up for their green tariff. Scottish and Southern will then pay the RSPB a further £5 per year for every year that the customer remains on the green tariff. Switching from non-renewable fuels only takes a few minutes online and unlike solar or wind power, does not require any adjustments to your home such as new pipes or boilers. Whilst the energy entering your home, will remain the same, you may be comforted by the knowledge that you are doing something to help preserve the future.

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