Here we look at; What Is Renewable Energy or Green Energy? How to Switch Energy Providers? And, How to Pick a Truly Ethical Energy Supplier? This is part of our campaign to #VoteWithOurMoney with 6 Steps to Help Stop Climate Change, one of over 40 ideas in our Sustainability Roadmap, and part of our series on Living Sustainably.
If you already know you want to stop burning fossil fuels and polluting the planet, here are the options to switch to green and renewable electricity and gas:
- Check the Ethical Consumer Ethical Energy Suppliers product guide
- Use a comparison website like Uswitch to compare green energy suppliers
If you want stome more facts before making any decisions, let’s get into the details:
How we use energy at home and work, typically gas and electric, is one of 6 quick and easy steps to help climate change and get started with sustainability.
If we choose where we spend our money—by switching from any energy deal to renewable and green energy suppliers—we have the power to change banks, companies, and governments.
We have the power to help stop climate change, improve our lives and the lives of future generations.
By spending our money with companies that provide renewable and green energy, we #VoteWithOurMoney and give big business a sign that we want them to invest in the technologies of the future, not in fossil fuels.
It’s not as simple as switching off fossil fuels, because so many of us are reliant on the energy source, however, we have to be given the chance to quickly transition away from fossil fuels, if we are to hit the next target in the climate crisis of halving global emissions by 2030, followed by net zero emissions by 2050.
By spending our money with green energy suppliers, we’re helping the renewables industry to invest in technology and infrastructure that will encourage more investment from banks, pension funds, and investors, and will bring down the cost of renewable and green energy.
If we spend our money with renewable and green energy suppliers, it will shift investment away from fossil fuels, and into energy generated by the sun, wind, and water, which will help stop climate change, and allow us to live sustainably.
Investment in fossil fuels is still a problem.
If we’re going to help stop climate change, we have to talk in the same language as banks, pension funds, and investors; that language is money and profit.
Before getting into how you can switch energy supplier, let’s give you some background to renewables and green energy.
What Is Renewable Energy or Green Energy?
Renewable energy comes from sources that are abundant, unlimited, and… natural! Think sun, wind, and water.
If you’re worried that we can’t survive without fossil fuels then the fossil fuel industry has done a great job with it’s disinformation and propaganda.
That’s enough energy to power our lives, without the damaging effects of extracting fossil fuels from the earth, and polluting the planet.
What the renewables industry needs is investment and support.
If the UK government is to hit it’s climate change pledge of net zero by 2050, it needs to make selling and buying renewable and green energy more attractive, so that I, you, everybody can transition completely away from fossil fuels—not just switching to green energy suppliers with carbon offset gas, but a complete move away from fossil fuels by replacing gas powered central heating with heat pumps that generate heat from the ground or air.
Nuclear is also a low carbon source of energy, but it’s not renewable.
There’s also bioenergy that uses food waste and animal waste; burning wood, plants, and other organic materials; waste left over after recycling; and landfill gas.
I haven’t included nuclear and bio energy in this piece because I’m focusing on natural and renewable energy sources.
There are also some critics of bioenergy who feel it encourages people to create waste, which is a major part of climate change, global heating, and consuming Earth’s natural resources.
My ‘non-technical’ opinion is that bioenergy is better than fossil fuels, and we need some way to clean up and reduce waste at the same time as everybody finding ways to consume and waste less.
Let’s take a look at each of the main natural energy resources.
How Does Solar Energy Work?
Probably the renewable source we’re most familiar with.
Often seen on the roofs of houses, solar energy is used to create electricity and heat water.
Why’s solar energy good?
- It’s renewable energy
- It doesn’t require any fuel (after construction)
- It doesn’t create any pollution (after construction)
Solar panels don’t work at night so this form of energy works alongside the other forms of renewable and green energy.
Getting more money and investment into renewables will help to reduce the cost of producing the panels that generate electricity from solar energy.
How Does Wind Energy Work?
Wind is a renewable source of energy. The sun’s heat creates air currents in our atmosphere, which is the wind that turns turbines to create the kinetic energy needed to generate electricity.
Why’s wind energy good?
- It’s renewable energy
- It doesn’t require any fuel (after construction)
- It doesn’t create any pollution (after construction)
Wind turbines do need wind so this form of energy works alongside the other forms of renewable and green energy.
How Does Tidal Energy Work?
Tidal energy is one of three water energy resources.
The other two forms of water energy are wave energy, and falling water energy (also called hydro or hydroelectric).
As an island with over 7,000 miles of coastline (that actual number could be significantly more and is open to debate), the UK is the perfect place to harness the electricity generating power of tides and waves.
Wave power works in the same way as wind power, by using the movement of the waves to drive turbines that generate electricity.
Because of the length of our coastline, we have plenty of rivers joining the sea, and this gives us a lot of opportunity to harness tidal power.
Tidal power uses a tidal barrage, which is a barrier that allows water to rush through tubes to create kinetic energy that generates electricity.
Falling water, or hydro, is the energy source that you may have seen on walks in the hills and mountains, where dams are built in natural valleys.
Water starts off high up, using gravity to pull it down through tubes to create kinetic energy that generates electricity.
Why’s Water Energy Good?
- It’s renewable energy
- Tidal and hydro are very reliable
- It doesn’t require any fuel (after construction)
- It doesn’t create any pollution (after construction)
There’s Also Geothermal Energy
This type of energy either uses volcanic areas or hot rocks.
I haven’t included any more information on geothermal energy because it’s only being investigated in the UK.
You could say that heat pumps use heat from the Earth and that is considered geothermal energy.
Some sites in the UK have been identified as having potential for larger scale geothermal energy generation. You can find more about that on the GT Energy website.
So that’s a heads-up on the different types of energy.
How to Pick a Truly Ethical Energy Supplier?
As with everything, nice websites don’t always tell the whole picture.
What to check:
It’s good to check if the company is building new sources of green energy as this will help to increase capacity as more and more people switch away from fossil fuels.
Does the company have purchase agreements with renewable generators? These agreements help to give security to the companies that generate the renewable energy.
What to avoid:
Is the company involved in mega projects, anywhere in the world, or any other projects that damage the environment? These destructive projects can also violate indigenous rights.
The one is a no brainer but it needs some investigation; is the company using fossil fuels? It’s important to move completely away from any tariffs that rely on fossil fuels to generate electricity if we are to support the move to renewable energy.
This one needs a bit more work; is the company making meaningless environmental claims? Unfortunately, some companies are not honest in their approach to busines and their marketing claims. The way to avoid this is by choosing a company that is building new sources of green energy.
Instead of doing all of that research yourself, use the Ethical Consumer Ethical Energy Suppliers product guide, because they’ve done all of the research.
Energy Suppliers That Got Product Sustainability Marks
In the product guide, Ethical Consumer looks at companies that commit to not build more fossil-fuelled plants, and to be either building renewables or buying sufficient renewable electricity by purchasing Power Purchase Agreements that cover 100% of customers’ electricity use.
They awarded these companies with product sustainability marks to the companies that did this, they are:
Energy Mix of Different Energy Suppliers
This table shows the fuel mix of each of the energy suppliers.
Green = Meaningful contribution to renewable capacity building for all energy supplied. Orange = Marked down for meaningless environmental claims. Bright Red = Some fossil fuels or nuclear. Dark Red = Up to 5% from coal and/or % renewable below UK grid average of 37%.
Companies to Avoid
90% of Shell Energy capital goes into fossil fuels, so they’re still one to avoid, however, encouraging or forcing this type of company to transition to green and renewables has to be the goal because they have a significant global footprint.
A court in the Hague ordered Royal Dutch Shell to cut its global carbon emissions by 45% by the end of 2030 compared with 2019 levels, in a landmark case brought by Friends of the Earth and over 17,000 co-plaintiffs.
It’s good to see some of Earth’s largest polluters being forced to do a better job of reducing their global emissions, but more needs to happen.
Back to the compaines to avoid; Shell and EDF are both members of industry lobby groups known to have opposed climate measures.
There are other companies to avoid. The table above gives a good indication of the ones to avoid. You can find a lot more information in the Ethical Consumer Ethical Energy Suppliers product guide.
How to Switch Energy Providers to Renewable or Green Energy?
Switching is super easy because of the Energy Switch Guarantee. Here’s what you need to do:
- Get your latest bill, so you know your current deal
- Use a comparison website like Uswitch to compare green energy suppliers
- Pick the green energy provider that’s best for you
- Check they use the Energy Switch Guarantee
- Then go through the switch process
There’s more information about switching energy supplier on the Citizens Advice website as well as information on the 21 day switch process on the Energy UK website.
Here Is What You Can Do
- Switch to a renewable and green energy supplier
- Check out #VoteWithOurMoney with 6 Steps to Help Stop Climate Change
- Try the Sustainability Roadmap with 40+ Solutions to Climate Change
- Use the Company Directory to Help You Live Sustainably
- Be inspired. Know that we can reverse climate change if we do something about it
- Talk to your friends and colleagues
- Share this with others
Want to Continue Your Journey?
Where Next?
There is so much inspiring information to give you ideas of how to help climate change by growing, eating, and living sustainably, you can:
- Read Our Articles
- Sign-Up to Our Free Email Newsletter
- Get Started and Vote with Your Money
- Try the Sustainability Roadmap
- Use the Company Directory
- Support Nafford Junction
Help Us Inspire Others
If you are passionate about helping climate change, please consider supporting Nafford Junction, you can:
- Become a Patron to Give Regular Contributions
- Buy Me a Coffee to Make a One-Off Contribution
- Create for Us and Publish Thought Provoking Content
- Become an Inspiring Leader and Advertise with Us
- Go to NaffordJunction.co.uk/support
Sources Used to Create This
- #VoteWithOurMoney and Help Stop Climate Change
- Sustainability Roadmap to Help Climate Change
- Directory for Growing, Eating, and Living Sustainably
- How To Sustain Life On Our Planet
- What is renewable energy?
- Heat Pumps
- Renewable energy
- What is solar energy?
- Wind energy
- Wave, tide and falling water energy resource
- How Long Is Great Britain’s Coastline?
- Geothermal in the UK
- Switch energy supplier
- About Energy Switch Guarantee
- Compare green energy suppliers
- Ethical Energy Suppliers (23rd February 2021)
- Green Energy
- Good Energy
- People’s Energy
- Bulb
- Ecotricity
Production Notes
This was produced by me, James Walters, as a personal project to help stop climate change by inspiring others to grow, eat, and live sustainably.
Any advice given is the opinion of those involved and does not constitute medical, financial, or legal advice.
* We include links we think you will find useful. If you buy through those links, we may earn a small commission. It’s one way to support our work and to inspire as many people as possible.