It is a typically sunny, long afternoon in the English countryside. Bees are buzzing, hedge rows dip and turn, and the slow curvature of the rolling hillsides drop off towards the horizon line. In fact, we could be plotted anywhere along the steady timeline of British history. It's true; going by appearances alone it's hard to tell, whilst out rambling or picnicking on one of Britain's many soft knolls, not where we are but when we are.

That is until you've seen a peculiar looking specimen of tree - the wind turbine. Their presence is unmistakable; standing straight in regimented lines, rotors turning, or planted by themselves, tall as a flag pole in support of some local farm.

Admittedly it took a while for a character to grow out from this very modern twenty-first century mechanism. Indeed, the national newspapers were all too eager to dwell upon the immediate reactionary defense from our nation as a whole; easily anticipated from a country most often described as 'stoic' and 'proud', let alone one with a heritage like Britain's. And the public's general negative feeling did well to capture the response that most people had at a personal level to what seemed like an invasion of technological progression.

So, have things changed since then? Well, arguably, no - not really. The general consensus on Britain's adoption of wind turbines and other renewable energy seems to follow the line that We're happy to have it, but hate to see it! And this, quite frankly, has to change.

Agreed, the great British countryside is changing. And, no, it doesn't look the same as it did. But this will never be the case. After all, nothing on Earth has a design - be it biological or technological - to remain in stasis. It seems appropriate to recall some old wise words once uttered...All that remains permanent is change. Which is why when change is inevitable it must be understood.

Wind turbines are Britain's primary hope for producing renewable energy, on site. By 'on site' we are talking about domestic sourcing - within Britain - rather than paying for power from across seas. The sites on and around Britain are naturally provided for in order to harbour wind farms and make use of the sustainable and renewable energy source that we have for centuries taken for granted - wind.

Solar energy, for all its merit, would not come to great affect if it were to harness a typical British summer. And being a relatively small cluster of islands, restricted by the amount of land we have available, other renewable sources such as Biomass remain impracticable. And despite great innovation and technological advancement in many areas of renewable energy, Britain's key renewable source is, and will be for the foreseeable future, wind power.

So what's to be done? Well, to surmise with one word, we have to 'change'. Changing our perceptions; our habits; and our methods.

It's the buzzword that environmentalists and politicians have been using for years, and which, quite honestly, has lost all meaning. Change requires action. And to make this sound less dramatic, to put it 'in the kitchen' so to speak, in a day-to-day reality, we'd need only to look at the energy we have supplied directly into our homes.

By doing something as simple as changing your current energy tariff to a 'clean' energy supplier, you will be making that necessary change. If your electricity is sourced from a supplier that uses 'clean' power - or in other words uses renewable sources to produce the power - then they are getting the financial support needed to sustain their good practise; the government will recognise this change in trends; and the renewable market will be boosted by the new income. All this action will, in turn, bring electricity prices down, advance renewable technology (so they can design more integratable models), and help Britain become a more sustainable country.

Think of it this way: by doing something as simple as changing your current energy tariff, you could have more money to treat yourself to a picnic in the great outdoors knowing exactly why you feel so proud that the countryside looks this 'clean'.

Posted under Articles

At Ecoswitch we're often talking up the benefits of renewable energy and green energy for the home, because it can often be cheaper, and it is certainly more environmentally friendly. What we don't do though, is explain that switching to alternative energy is good for business.

Why Renewable Energy is a Great Way of Promoting CSR

Switching to an alternative energy company harbours the same benefits for a business as a home: it can work out cheaper, its environmentally friendly, and its stable and sustainable.

In one respect though, it is exceptional. for a business, it can be the perfect way to signal ethical considerations and a serious commitment to the corporate social responsibility of an organisation.

These days, that side of a business is more important that has ever been before, and whilst the work of an electricity and gas supply goes on silently, its useful for a business to be able to show that it practices what it preaches ethically by showing that even the way that their business is powered adheres to a code of environmental friendliness.

It might not be the most important consideration when switching to renewable energy, but its certainly one that uniquely benefits businesses and organisations.

Saving Money, Helping the Environment, Attracting Custom

Of course the fact that it may be cheaper, and that it significantly reduces CO2 emissions (in fact, on 100% renewable energy tariffs, they're effectively zero) is still an incredibly encouraging thing at business level.

That it can also attract custom is just an extra added bonus: there are certainly individuals out there (including this writer, for one) who would see an organisation using renewable energy companies as something of a vote-swinger.

It's important to say that it won't do much solo - if the organisation is terrible to begin with, a green energy supply isn't going to change things - but if its a choice between two great companies, then many would go with the one who has taken time to implement such ethical considerations.

Switching a Business to Alternative Energy with Ecoswitch

If this kind of thing sounds like the right kit and caboodle for you, then take a look at switching to renewable energy through the Ecoswitch green energy pages.All you need is geographical details and a few rudimentary stats regarding energy consumption, and you're away.

Switching takes a few minutes, but the rewards last years. So take a look now!

Posted under Gas & Electricity

Now that you're up-to-date with what a green energy tariff is, we've compiled a concise collection of the leading energy suppliers and a who's who of the eco-specialists on the market today.

EDF Energy

EDF's Climate Balance tariff is for their existing customers. It works with a sense of off-setting your carbon usage: 0.42 pence per unit of electricity and 0.147 pence per unit of gas used is first matched by EDF and then contributed into a running fund to develop sustainable energy projects and offset CO2 emissions. Their Green Tariff works through a similar process: this green fund has been set up so that all-year support and investments can be made into initiatives supporting community based and educational projects, such as developing and installing microgenerational equipment (ie., solar panels and wind turbines) for schools and neighbourhood projects.

Scottish and Southern Energy

Scottish and Southern Energy have teamed up with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) and concentrated their efforts to protect and support Britain's ecology and local wildlife. When you make the switch, £10 for gas and £10 for electricity donations will be made in your name; as well as an added donation of £5 for every year you remain with the tariff.

ScottishPower

ScottishPower's H20 tariff focuses on the renewable source of hydro-power. Every unit of electricity used by their customers will be matched by ScottishPower as they'll generate the equivalent by using their hydro-power stations in Lanark, Galloway and Cruachan. As well as this great way of supporting local renewable power generation, ScottishPower offer another method of investing in renewable energy: their Green Energy Fund means that for a flat donation of £10.50 a year you'll be able to support the development and day-to-day running of energy projects around the UK.

NPower

Like a lot of the leading energy suppliers, npower offers a 'matching' tariff, where for every unit of electricity used they'll meet it with a unit of renewable energy to be pooled back into the National Grid. They too have a green fund set up, but they themselves will make the £10 donation in your name to help support developing renewable power schemes.

British Gas

One of the most encouraging things about British Gas is that they do not charge their customers to make the switch from a standard tariff to a green one. Plus, they guarantee to source their electricity for this tariff from a variety of renewable sources.

As well as the leading energy companies creating greener tariffs, there are also green energy companies who specialise in offering environmentally aware tariffs. Here are the leading two currently on the market place:

Ecotricity

Ensuring that their electricity is derived from renewable sources, Ecotricity are also keen investors in building, running and developing renewable sources. As well as running wind farms across the UK, in 2006 they invested £7 million in wind energy.

Good Energy

Not only do Good Energy supply 100% 'clean' electricity sourced from renewable energy sources - including wind, solar and hydro power - they also provide a unit by unit equivalent service which match your energy consumption and invest the amount of units back into the National Grid. On average, customers have saved two tonnes of CO2 a year and brought back their carbon footprint by about 1/3.

For more information on green energy check out the EcoSwitch comparison page onsite, or find out what it will cost you to make the switch today to a more eco-conscious tariff by clicking on the ecotricity link below.

Posted under Articles, Electricity Generation

At current, most electricity in the UK comes from traditional methods - fossil fuels, particularly coal, from coal-fired power stations - and the growth in energy consumption through a growth in population, not to mention a growth in industrialised populations, has been one of the biggest contributors to global warming, CO2 emissions, and the problem of climate change.

The reduction of CO2 emissions has been a constant goal for politicians in the past two decades, from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change first set up at the 'Earth Summit' in Rio in 1993, to the Kyoto Procol in 1997 and the new deal laid down at the Copenhagen Climate Change Conference this month.

Where energy efficiency has become an issue, and the reduction of CO2 emissions in business an issue too, the way that households get their electricity has been left largely untouched: looking at bringing down consumption rather than changing the way we consume, coal-fired power stations remain the order of the day, so that only a reduction in energy use can bring about a reduction in CO2 emissions.

Green Energy in a Domestic Setting - An Occurrence on the Rise

There are companies that are looking to change that, of course. Currently the biggest organisations in the UK for just this purpose are Good Energy, Ecotricity and Green Energy. All three aim to produce renewable energy, green energy and clean electricity for use in the domestic sphere, meaning that energy consumption is not related to CO2 emissions.

Unfortunately, though it can sometimes be more expensive - or more difficult to get hold of - than conventional energy sources; the companies that have had a hold on gas and electricity consumption for decades - E.On, British Gas, etc - use cheap sources, meaning that they can provide their service cheaply.

But that is not to say that green energy isn't cheap: it just struggles at times to match the prices of those companies who are more interested in cost that environmental concerns.

Continued Investment is Bringing Down Green Energy Prices in KWH

Despite any potential difference in price, though, it has been shown that green energy and ethical gas and electricity are coming to match traditional gas and electricity prices per KWH. As technology improves and the use of green energy is becoming more common place, prices are coming down; they are expected, potentially, to begin to beat the prices of so-called 'brown' electricity.

It is an encouraging scenario indeed. And with CO2 emissions reduction so fervently sought after, government and private investment in green energy, too, will be a welcome thing indeed.

Posted under Articles, Gas & Electricity

It was touted, now over a year ago, that the Green New Deal as it was so-called, could address employment problems and kick start a drive towards a flourishing green sector in Britain, helping the transition to a low carbon economy. With the economic downturn placing long-term goals behind short term solutions in the estimations of a substantial many, the growth of a green sector has fallen - in some senses quite understandably - into the shade.

Nonetheless, its important to remember that a green sector is a necessary engine for sustainable growth in alternative energy, green initiatives, and a reduction of CO2 emissions in the UK.

After some time out of the media limelight, the concept of a strong and developed green sector has once again reached the news thanks to announcements made in Chancellor Alistair Darling's 2009 pre-budget report.

Green Sector Boosted by Pre-Budget Report Tax Breaks - The Basics

In an effort to encourage investment into a growing green sector, New Labour have - through Darling's pre budget report, made public earlier this month - granted tax exemptions for income generated through several green measures. Growthbusiness.co.uk neatly summarised the gains that the green sector will receive as a result of the next budget:

"Income generated by small-scale renewable energy facilities (such as wind turbines or solar panels on your roof) is to be tax-free. A ‘boiler scrappage’ scheme is to be launched to encourage people to replace inefficient old boilers with greener models. Company car tax is to be abolished for electric cars and there is a renewed commitment to installing smart meters in homes by 2010 and providing funding for home insulation".

Thanks to such exemptions, the interest generated around a strong UK green sector should grow in coming months, and the encouragement that government has given for such a growth is a promising factor indeed.

Whilst the pre-budget report has encountered some criticism for its attempts to generate revenue in difficult times - the National Insurance payment being increased is a prime example - it is certainly welcome to see that New Labour are prepared to back initiatives that will increase the presence of a green sector in the British economy.

Posted under Renewable Energy

Certainly, nuclear power is renewable, but how environmentally friendly it is comes under regular scrutiny and analysis. With nuclear power again doing the rounds in government, its viability as an energy source for public consumption is once again under examination.

Nuclear Power - An Introduction

What exactly is nuclear power?

The Global Development Research Centre, an independent think tank concerned with environmental reform, defines it in the following way:

"Energy, usually in the form of heat or electricity, produced by the process of nuclear fission within a nuclear reactor. The coolant that removes the heat from the nuclear reactor is normally used to boil water, and the resultant steam drives steam turbines that rotate electrical generators".

So that's the process by which its made. What, though, are the credentials for claiming that nuclear power is renewable, then?

What Makes Nuclear Power Renewable?

Its first worth noting that nuclear power is of incredible low carbon value: most of the carbon it creates is not in the process by which the energy is made, and its CO2 emissions are minimal.This is what potentially makes nuclear energy 'green'.

The debate over its inclusion in the renewable energy family, though, drew mainstream coverage in the 1980s. The argument goes that uranium is in effect an inexhaustible resource - the amount that can potentially be created outlasts the life of the sun according to this argument - meaning that the energy it creates is a potentially infinite, renewable energy.

As is to be expected, the validity of this argument is highly contested: many take issue with the argument that uranium would last the billions of years to take to outlast the lifespan of the sun. Others dismiss its credibility simply on the basis that lasting an incredibly long time is not the same 'infinite'.

Can We Begin to Talk About Green Nuclear Energy

A similar debate continues over the environmental friendliness of nuclear energy. In its short life time, nuclear power has had some pretty awful press. the atomic bomb and Chernobyl are incredibly high profile tragedies that will remain strong cases against the use of nuclear energy.

In arguments about its safety, such cases will make sure that - at the very least - nuclear energy is always treated with caution. Theoretically, many argue, it is quite safe: particularly since improved technology has improved safety. But others argue that the practical problems of toxic waste dumping, plus the margin for human error.

Posted under Articles, Renewable Energy

E.On has just received planning permission from South Lanarkshire Council for the development of a 29.9MW wind farm consisting of 13 turbines able to power around 20,000 homes. The development, located on land at Dungavel Hill, south of Strathaven, Scotland, should help offset around 40,000 tonnes of Carbon Dioxide per year.

The permission granted by the local council will allow E.On to help the Scottish Government achieve its' Green Energy Targets of 31% by 2011 and 50% by 2050. Ahmed Mulla, E.ON's project developer for Dungavel, said:

"This is excellent news for us and another step towards helping Scotland meet its renewable energy targets."

The scheme will also bring contract opportunities to local employers in the region. During the construction phase there are expected to be between 50 and 60 contractors working on site.

South Lanarkshire Council are also pleased as E.On have agreed to make a minimum contribution of £60,000 per year to the Council's Renewable Energy Fund for the lifetime of the project.

In response to these community and social initiatives, Ahmed Mulla commented:

"We're especially pleased the planning report recognised the benefits this project will bring to the local community and beyond.''

The above development is another positive development for E.On and another example of how a large multinational is now trying to make serious efforts to balance environmental considerations with the need to make profit.

The above development follows a similar announcement back on 07 October this year, when E.On decided to shelve plans for a new coal-fired power station at Kingsnorth. That would have been the first one built for three decades. But E.On recognised that Britain didn't need another Coal Fired power station, particularly in light of the constant deluge of environmental pressure from a variety of organisations spearheading 'The Big If and Give Coal The Boot' campaign.

These positive environmental developments are increasingly helpful to E.On as their Environmental Performance is measured partly by the amount of energy that they source as a Company from Renewables. EU targets require the UK to source 20% of their overall energy requirements from Renewables by 2020. The latest Fuel Mix data provided by Suppliers indicated that E.On are sourcing 0.3% of their energy from Renewables so developments like Dungavel will only serve to help their environmental performance longer term.

Posted under Articles, Corporate, Electricity Generation, Gas & Electricity, Renewable Energy

Coal-fired power plants have come under harsh criticism in recent decades, and the development of viable alternatives - namely the increased efficiency in renewable technologies like solar energy and wind energy - have further accelerated the demise of the traditional technology, with coal-fired power stations becoming associated with outdated and old fashioned technology.

Certainly, the vast CO2 emissions that coal-fired power stations contribute to the atmosphere and to the UK's total carbon emissions yearly, has meant that coal-fired power stations have largely deserved the criticism to which they have become attached.

Carbon Capture and Storage Could Give a New Lease of Life to Coal-Fired Power - Green Carbon a Possibility

Outdated and old fashioned it may be, but coal-fired power stations have formed the bedrock of energy generation in the UK and other developed nations for decades; the industrial revolution was founded on the use of fossil fuels and coal for production, and it has played its part in the generation of a vast wealth of technologies and services.

As such, coal-fired power plants are numerous, and the techniques and technologies by which it generates energy, electricity and gas are well understood.

For that reason, the current government, through the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC), are favouring a continued use of coal-fired power plants, and combining them with carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology. The thinking behind their support is that if the chief problem with coal -its CO2 emissions - is removed, then the long trusted methods can remain in use; it is less of a leap than a move to renewable energy.

For that reason, the DECC announced this month that it will go ahead with the building of new coal-fired power plants, but that any new plants will be fitted with CCS technology.

How Long Can a Green Carbon Push Last? The Finite Resources Problem

Certainly CCS technology would remove the dangerous CO2 emissions element from the creation of energy through coal-fired power plants, but the second problem - albeit a more long term problem - is that of the finite existence of coal. Whilst a continued use of coal, coupled with CCS, removes the CO2 emissions issue, it leaves unsolved the question of the future sustainability of energy generation.

Indeed it has already been argued that where CSS buys us valuable time, it must not be seen as the general answer to the energy problem: that answer should come from renewable energy sources.

Posted under Electricity Generation, News

Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) has not enjoyed a development without controversy: like nuclear power it has had its critics as well as its supporters, with advocates favouring the immediacy with which it can be implemented and its theoretically clean electricity generation, and sceptics fearing that the theory would not hold to the practice, and carbon dumping could cause as many problems as the current dumping of toxic waste.

The British government, though, are continually in favour, and last week Ed Miliband, Energy Secretary and head of the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC), once again signalled his commmitment to the technology, promising to build electricity plants that are equipped with CCS technology.

Electricity Plants Will Support Strong Renewable Energy and Nuclear Energy Programmes

Confirming that the New Labour government will not ratify plans to build any new coal-fired electricity plants unless they are fitted with CCS technology, Miliband further commented in his speech that renewable energy was still firmly on the government's agenda; he announced a strategy that would incorporate the three pillars of renewable power, CCS, and nuclear power.

Whilst both nuclear energy and CCS are contentious issues - not to mention the fact that Kingsnorth, the subject of recent protest, is one of the planned build sites for a new electricity plant - it can be said that Miliband's proposals are ambitious, thoughtful and sensible.

Understanding that renewable energy is by far the purest option in the future, the DECC has drafted a plan that also accepts that the problem of climate change is alive now, and must be dealt with now.  As such, the use of nuclear energy and CCS as a support base for the increased development of renewable energy, is a very sound proposal indeed.

To that end, the stand out statement from Miliband was as follows: "Even on our ambitious targets for renewables, there will be a need, on the estimates we are publishing today, for additional new non-renewable power. We need to use all available low carbon sources".

No More Polluting Electricity Plants - An Ambitious Statement in the Lead up to Copenhagen

With the count down to the Copenhagen Climate Change Summit well under way, the DECC are certainly setting an example to other nations in positive climate change policy. It further signals the intentions of Britain to lead the way in future energy policy. If the DECC can stick to their proposal, and fit all new coal-fired electricity plants with CCS technology, then it will be a laudible step indeed.

Posted under Electricity Generation

Green energy - or renewable energy, to give it its other name - is so called because it generates electricity in a way that is environmentally friendly, and was designed for that purpose.

The most ready examples of renewable energy and that which creates green electricity, are solar energy and wind energy, as well as wave and tidal power, and hydroelectricity generation.

Green Nuclear Energy - The Case for Nuclear Energy in the Green Energy Family

Nuclear power is a controversial member of the group of green electricity generators. In and of itself, nuclear energy is renewable, and in that sense green; unlike the fossil fuels its sometimes grouped with, nuclear energy isn't finite.

It also isn't polluting, or at least not when its dealt with properly. When nuclear waste is effectively maintained, contained and transported, the harmful by-products of the process are kept safe. In so doing, nuclear energy is able to keep the tag of both renewable energy and green energy, in that it remains recyclable, and isn't harmful to the environment.

Nuclear energy, then, is in theory a valid member of the green electricity family: but can we go as far as calling nuclear green?

Green Nuclear Power - The Case Against

Many anti-nuclear environmentalists argue that the theory just doesn't hold with practice.  Though nuclear power is perfectly safe as long as nuclear waste is contained, critics argue that anyone who doesn't see that wastage is likely, as companies cut corners, is being naive.

George Monbiot, for one, has written extensively about the dumping of waste and why green nuclear might not be a possibility citing the recent Trafigura scandal, amongst others, as evidence for the problem with waste dumping and nuclear power.

The question over nuclear power and whether we can call some of it green nuclear, then, is one surrounding realities: though nuclear power is fine in theory, can we trust to the maintenance of that theory?

Green Electricity as Generated from Traditional Green Energy

Some would argue that, to use the common phrase, it would be better to be safe than sorry. In essence, then, they won't call nuclear energy green because of the potential, and to them very practically real risks.

Given that the classification of nuclear power in this respect is up for debate, many energy companies try to steer clear of nuclear power in their fuel mix, when offering green electricity to customers.

Of the UK's Green Three, only Ecotricity use nuclear power, and at low levels; in order to call their green tariffs 100% renewable, the other two avoid the use of nuclear power, as shown in studied fuel mix data for UK companies.

When looking to switch gas and electricity to green tariffs, then, it may be best to play safe and avoid nuclear energy; Ecotricity, though, are one of the world's most reputable green energy companies, and the fact that they are willing to use it should be taken into consideration.

Posted under Articles, Gas & Electricity