Eco-friendly Electricity

So, you want to do your bit for the environment and use renewable energy, but you can't afford to install solar, wind, or other means of green power in your home - what can you do?

Well, there is something you can do, you can do it right now, and you can make a difference!

With the deregulation of the UK's energy market you can choose who supplies your electricity, and make your voice heard with your money.

"The other thing that not many people realise is that we can now all choose who supplies our electricity, and therefore how it's made, so wherever you live in the country you can actually choose to have your home or business supplied by clean energy. The funny thing is switching takes about five minutes but it's the biggest single step you can take to reduce your emissions and protect the environment."

There are several green suppliers about, but only one that stands out for value AND their future plans, and that company is Ecotricity. Why Ecotricity you may ask?
Well, Ecotricity was formed in 1996, and have so far (Q4 2005) invested in and constructed 11 windfarms with more at planning stage and construction starting on several other projects.
Just click the previous link and take a look! (link opens in new window).

"Wind is an abundant source of energy that will never run out. It's also the world's fastest growing energy source and in the UK we're lucky enough to have around 40%of Europe's wind resource, potentially enough to power the country 3 or 4 times over".

There are other 'green' suppliers including; Green Energy UK, and Good Energy, but both of these companies have 'bought into' the green energy market by purchasing existing renewable sources including wind and hydro (water) from other companies. Their actual investment in new projects has so far been zero. An interesting comparison of green and traditional suppliers (including their 'green' efforts) can be found at www.whichgreen.org.

Ecotricity promise to match the price of every regional supplier, so therefore it should cost you no more than you currently pay, they also promise to invest the profits from you back into renewable resources, therefore increasing the amount of UK energy produced by environmentally friendly means.

So make a difference now - change your electricity supplier to Ecotricity and you know you are not only making a difference, but your money is also being invested in all our futures.

Further interesting facts and figures regarding electricity and wind power can be downloaded from here . ( in PDF format - Free Adobe Acrobat Reader required: www.adobe.com )

I See The Light!

This time of year I start to notice the increasing number of properties being dressed for Christmas. Is it really necessary to illuminate the whole street for a month or more? Especially when we should all be more aware of our own energy consumption and the willful wastage of fossil fuels and increased CO2 emissions (greenhouse gases).

Consider using decorative LED lights which are very energy efficient compared to the traditional mini bulb type, as Lights4fun state:
LED lights ...

• Last up to ten times longer than a standard bulb - up to 100,000 hours!


• They are incredibly bright ( 3 x times brighter than standard bulbs) 3000 mcds.


• They use on average 80% less power than standard bulbs - and are therefore environmentally friendly.


• They are very durable and hardy - no filament or glass to break.


• The bulbs generate NO HEAT and thus are very safe! They are IDEAL for Christmas decorations around trees or other fabrics - where normal bulbs could cause a danger.


• Would pay for themselves in one year of constant use!
  

You should also be using energy efficient bulbs around your house wherever it is possible, as these produce less heat and also last many hours more than traditional bulbs.

Enjoy your Christmas by all means, but refrain from going over the top. I'm sure the real Christmas story didn't include a glowing sleigh with four 6 foot illuminated reindeer surrounded by several thousand coloured light bulbs!

I'm not a 'bah humbug' kind of person, I love Christmas and so does my partner and daughters it's a fantastic time. But I do wonder about the excessive use of some illuminated decorations you often see at this time of year. Perhaps it's a way for some people to get the attention that they crave, I don't know. But a little restraint can go a long way.

Merry Christmas and best wishes for the season to all.