Acknowledging the very real phenomenon of global warming, just about every manufacturer as well as energy supplier is now offering consumers products and services that are more environmentally friendly. Consumers, on the other hand are doing their part by switching over to these products, despite temporary inconveniences or short-term increased expenses.
Many energy providers now offer consumers carbon or green offset tariffs. However, it is worth noting that only electricity supply can be considered as truly green. Gas, being a fossil fuel, cannot be considered green.
Here are a few ways in which you can reduce your energy consumption, find the green energy tariff that is right for you and also get funding for enhancing your energy saving endeavors.
Green tariffs are basically structured according to three main criteria:
Green source: In a green electricity supply tariff, the electricity that is being sold by the provider is bought from renewable sources.
Green Fund: In a green energy fund tariff, the premium that is paid by consumers is invested by the supplier into various environmental projects including renewable energy. Often, the energy provider matches the contributions made by the customers.
Carbon offset: In a carbon offset tariff, the energy supplier offers to plant trees in order to offset the CO2 emissions resulting from its consumer’s gas and electricity usage. Some energy suppliers invest in various projects that aim to reduce CO2 emissions in developing countries or even in the UK.
As everybody gets more and more conscious about protecting the environment, the green energy market is ever increasing. Though presently, only an estimated 4 % of the total electricity supply in the UK is got from renewable sources including wind power, the target set by the Government is 10% by 2010.
Some energy providers offer you a choice of standard as well as green tariffs, in which case you will most likely notice that the green tariff is a bit more expensive. Though many consumers do not mind paying the premium and using green energy in the greater interest; many others hesitate to do so because of doubts regarding the authenticity of the energy providers’ claims. Moreover, a scheme has yet to be set up where consumers can verify the green claims made by the energy provider and whether or not the environment does benefit.
In the absence of any real avenue for verifying your energy providers’ claims, opting for a more expensive green tariff is purely a personal choice.
With global warming staring us in the face, we should all do our bit to make our homes eco-friendly.
What better place to start being environmentally friendly than with your own new-born baby!
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Choosing long lasting furniture has far reaching consequences that can impact rainforests and landfills as well as our health.
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