White Hill Design Studio

Renewable Energy

Let’s be honest, there are days when saving the planet feels like very hard work. Days when you can’t face washing out that tin can for recycling and have run out of interesting things to do with a used yoghurt pot. For times like these, or for the armchair environmentalist who wants to save the earth without breaking a sweat, it is possible to make a difference simply by switching energy supplier. 

Discharges from UK power stations make up about a third of all our carbon dioxide emissions. Our demand for electricity grows relentlessly, usually fuelled by conventional power stations. By changing to a renewable energy supplier, your electricity could be emission-free. 

But beware… There’s a lot of green hype and it’s possible – indeed likely, given the number of conventional energy suppliers who now offer a green option - that your ‘renewable’ electricity is actually from a conventional power station. It pays to do your homework to make sure you are getting the real thing – green energy from a company that’s genuinely committed to renewables and is sensitive about the size and location of their energy sources. The Good Shopping Guide (available from libraries) or Friends of the Earth website (www.foe.co.uk) can help you make the choice that’s best for you and the planet. 

We swapped to renewable energy a year ago. After lots of research we decided to buy from a small scale renewable producer who uses wind, water and solar power (‘renewable’ doesn’t have to mean ‘windfarm’) and – best of all - buys back electricity from homeowners who have micro-renewables in their homes. 

Is it more expensive? Well, yes. Potentially up to 8% more than non-renewable electricity. But that’s positive too. Whatever the energy supply, we still all need to be less reckless with the stuff. Like much of our carbon fuelled lifestyle, there’s a hidden cost that will have to be picked up by future generations. If we can’t afford the cost of energy, our planet and our kids can afford it even less. The threat of higher bills has finally given our household the added drive it needs to become more energy aware - to know where the energy goes, and to stop wasting it. And that has to be good for our bank balance and for the earth.