An important aspect of green lifestyles and changing the way things are done, Ecoswitch provides users with the chance to compare gas and electric prices. Green energy tariffs mean that, at a fundamental level, a home or an organisation can embody a green and environmental lifestyle.

Understandably though, Ecoswitch only deals with those companies that are providing gas and electricity which makes a sustained effort at using, and developing the use of, green technologies, green energy and renewable energy sources. It is their innovation that is making green energy more readily available, at prices that won’t deplete people’s term deposits and savings accounts. It is the future of our planet that hangs in the balance, and we can all play a part. Ecoswitch recognizes those companies that are doing their best to go green. That’s why our support is for the ‘Green Three’: Good Energy, Green Energy UK and Ecotricity.

These three energy suppliers are the only three in the UK that make use of more than 30% renewable energy in their overall fuel mix for the gas and electricity they provide their customers. they are also, generally speaking, the companies who are best placed to continue developing further use of these technologies: Ecotricity have written specifically on their green energy development results and aims.

When choosing to give web users a chance to compare gas and electric prices and save themselves some money, then, Ecoswitch made it their aim to support the Green Three over others.

Renewable Electricity and Gas – Getting 100% Green Energy with the Green Three

The second reason that the Green Three have made waves – and another reason for Ecoswitch to support their endeavours -  is that they are the only gas and electricity suppliers to offer 100% renewable energy tariffs to their customers.

Whilst the Green Three have yet to reach the allusive target of producing a 100% renewable fuel mix, then, they have made sure they’re one step closer than their competitors by producing their 100% renewable energy tariffs. And as they grow, it will be hoped that the number of people that green energy tariff can be offered to will also grow.

How to Compare Gas and Electric Prices with Ecoswitch

Should the aims of the Green Three seem interesting, its simple to compare their tariffs with those of other suppliers: simply take a look at Ecoswitch’s gas and electricity comparison pages.

From there its a matter of inputting some basic details about energy consumption and location, and Ecoswitch will give an accurate account of the cost of a number of energy tariffs that keep the environment in mind.

Posted under Articles, Gas & Electricity

Wind power is something that most of us are by now familiar with. Wind power- the energy of the raw winds, used to turn mills, whose drive then transfers the energy to a more handy form for us humans- is now so widespread that windfarms are a common sight, and are steadily multiplying across the face of the earth.

But while wind power continues to be a popular form of renewable energy in both the public’s mind and in the policies of politicians and in government acts, a criticism of the medium persists: the intermittent nature of wind power. Coal, as long as it is abundant or easily bought on the market from elsewhere, can always be burnt. Wind, however, is not always so passive and malleable- wind farms consist of giant mills rooted deep into the ground, and are thus at the mercy of the climate and weather, which ultimately produces the aerial currents which are its ‘fuel’.
Wind farms cannot move elsewhere in order to get a better hit of wind, like a surfer who wants to find the best waves, and winds cannot be imported or moved in bulk.

One potential solution that has been proposed is a hybrid of wind power and stored hydrogen. Put simply, the hybrid system works like this: power is harnessed from the wind through mills, and this power is used for the grid (where it heats our homes, lights our buildings, etc) as well as for the additional purpose of electrolysis water, which creates hydrogen- this hydrogen is ‘bottled up’ and stored, and on those days when the wind is lagging, the hydrogen is ‘unbottled’ and used to create electricity and power- either through fuel cell technology or through a combustion engine linked to an electrical generator.

There are many issues that have arisen in the discussion and early attempts at realising wind hydrogen hybrid technology- one major issue is the storage of the hydrogen itself. Underground storage has been investigated, and is often seen as the favoured method in a possible wind-hydrogen hybrid system. Hydrogen storage is tricky because, for one thing, it requires very large tanks to hold it. Increasing the pressure for these tanks would make them smaller, but also denser. Compressed hydrogen takes up a lot of energy for the compression process, making it inefficient; hydrogen can also be kept as a liquid (think the liquid nitrogen of Hollywood films that freezes what it touches). The thing about liquefaction is that the hydrogen has to be kept very, very cold to keep it a liquid- hydrogen boils at -252.882 degrees celsius, so it has to be kept at a lower temperature than that, which takes up a hell of a lot of energy. The delicate insulation for the appropriate storage tanks is also very expensive.

Underground storage, which many would like to see as the main way of keeping hydrogen ready for power creation when the wind is running weak, would involve depleted gas and oil fields, underground caverns, or salt domes- according to Wikipedia, the chemical manufacturing giant ICI has stored gaseous hydrogen in underground caverns for years without any problems.

The Australian company WHL Energy Limited is a key player in the development of this hybrid system, and according to its website ‘is actively pursuing a regional expansion strategy in Latin America and China, in addition to the UK and Australia’. Wikipedia states that test sites for the company’s wind hydrogen system exist across Canada, Denmark, North America, Argentina, Scotland, Greece, and Norway.

A wind-hydrogen hybrid, then, looks like a positive step towards smoothing out the problems with the renewable and freely available energy that can be gained from wind- whether the difficulties of hydrogen storage can be overcome will depend upon the limits of our technology and the unfolding of time.

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

Situated in the eastern chunk of England that verges on ancient marshland and earthy conservation areas, Sarah Green’s family farm possesses 25 acres of organic, Soil Association registered land, where seasonal and organic vegetables and fruit are grown. The kind of venture that is increasingly popular with families, foodies and anyone with an interest in food-miles, the farm’s shop in North Street, Tillingham, sells their varied range of greens, along with their own free-range eggs and plenty of other stocks, including meat, juice, cereals and cooking essentials.

Travelling only half of a mile to the shop, the produce is also available in the form of ‘veg boxes’ (although a lot more than just veg can be bought). Sarah Green can deliver these weekly to pretty much anywhere in the Dengie Peninsula- that’s the area of Essex between the tidal rivers of Blackwater in the North, and the River Crouch to the South.

Ranging in price from £8 to £20, there are five sizes of box available. The food is all seasonal, and a constant, weekly variation will keep the organic produce fresh and interesting. Potatoes and carrots are there as a staple every week- the winter months might see the addition of leeks, cabbage, parsnips, purple sprouting broccoli, curly kale, or celeriac. Summer might see bunched beetroot, cucumber, lettuce, spinach, radish, pepper, fine beans, aubergines, fennel, or many others. The vegetables are all harvested straight into your box.

For those wanting to try out Sarah Green’s produce before they commit to a box, the farm also sells their wares in Green’s shop at 74 High Street, Maldon, Essex and Lathcoats Farm Shop, Chelmsford.

A great way to support local farming in the east of England, and to bring home fresh and natural food without having to leave the house.

Visit www.sarahgreensorganics.co.uk for more details on Sarah’s box scheme.

Posted under Articles, Companies, Corporate, Gas & Electricity, House & Home, Product Innovations

There can very often be a difference between what a business does and how a business runs: its business aims, its outcomes and its working practices can run counter to processes that have been in place for many years and have remained the way they stand for so long that they are easily forgotten.

The Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) is a perfect example. Formed a year ago, the department moved into a governmental building with bad energy habits; when it came to look at the energy efficiency of government buildings, the DECC’s new home was given the second lowest energy efficiency rating according to its own scoring systems.

Green Electricity in Business – A Signal to Customers and Partners

Whilst a non-deliberate problem, it has in some sense undermined the DECC’s own aims and actions as in some way hypocritical. And this is a phenomena that hinders a great number of businesses; in the era of hyper-sensitive attention to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) policy, many companies are changing the way that they act but forgetting about the processes by which they achieve them.

Gas and electricity are one of those perfect examples. Many businesses have had their energy supplied by the same people for so long that it would not come into consideration to change; but swapping to a green electricity tariff is a perfect way to signal that, down to a fundamental level, a business is looking at CSR.

Of course, to change to a green electricity and gas supplier and not support environmental reforms at other levels of a business would defeat the object of the switch, but as a final example of green policy – or as the first building block – it can be a perfect symbol of a businesses intentions.

Switch A Business to Alternative Energy with Ecoswitch

Ecoswitch specialises in switching people and businesses on standard tariffs to green energy tariffs with renewable and sustainable gas and electricity. If you’re interested in switching a business to alternative energy, please take a look at the Ecoswitch Green Energy Tariff Comparison pages: it can all be completed in a matter of minutes.

Posted under Articles, Gas & Electricity

With most electricity and gas suppliers using coal-fired power stations as the source for their energy, many people across the UK – from homes and businesses, to government buildings – are necessarily contributing to a vast count of CO2 emissions. But with green electricity prices coming down and matching the cost of other gas and electricity suppliers, ethical and renewable green energy is now displaying itself as a viable, practical and desirable option for UK citizens.

There are three companies that are famously providing just such a service: these are Good Energy, Ecotricity and Green Energy UK. Of electricity and gas suppliers in Britain, they are the only three that produce their energy with more than 30% renewable energy, and are also the only three to provide tariffs which generate 100% renewable electricity and gas.

As such, the Green Three – as they are often collectively named – are the only energy suppliers who can be said to place renewability and sustainability above cost; and as a result of their ethical considerations, the Green Three are smaller than some of their more established counterparts, but they are fast growing.

Comparing Green Electricity Prices through Ecoswitch – Switching to an Ethical Green Energy Tariff

Ethical considerations are undoubtedly very important, but most of us have to explore these principles within the constraints of our financial ties. That’s why Ecoswitch has made it quick and easy to compare green electricity prices; safe in the knowledge that the Green Three are providing renewable and green gas and electricity, one can consider quickly whether the swap is possible financially.

Take a look at the Ecoswitch green electricity price comparison pages for more information: Ecoswitch compares prices according to your location and your current energy consumption, so all you need is your post code and a rough idea of how much energy is currently being used in the household.

From there it’s easy to see that often green electricity prices are often as cheap as standard tariffs, and are sometimes lower. To that end, switching to green electricity and gas and 100% renewable green energy tariffs, with its ethical and environmental benefits, becomes an option too good to turn down.

Posted under Articles, Gas & Electricity

Comparing gas and electricity tariffs can often mean more than simply checking for the cheapest gas and electricity prices; whilst cost is of course an important factor in decisions such as these, suppliers that focus mostly on cost are often neglecting other important ethical considerations that should be made when it comes to gas and electricity.

Though responsibility for ethical considerations should ultimately fall on the gas and electricity suppliers, one often finds that a lack of responsibility in these areas lets the consideration fall quite unfairly on the consumer. So it’s up to the consumer to decide whether cheap gas and electricity is really worthwhile if its at the expense of sustainable energy and will continue to deplete finite resources, and whether it is contributing largely to CO2 emissions and the larger problem of climate change.

Comparing gas and electricity tariffs, then, should perhaps be about a balance between cost and ethical policies.

Green Suppliers that Combine Cost with Ethics

There are three companies in the UK for which ethics arguably comes above cost in their list of priorities. These are Green Energy UK, Good Energy and Ecotricity. Founded on a dedication to renewable and sustainable energy, they’re interested in keeping costs down, within the remit that using green energy allows.

This doesn’t mean that costs are high; far from it. Rather it means that the Green Three, as the listed companies are known, won’t compromise on the standards, and the means by which they produce their gas and electricity, in order to reduce cost.

The best illustration of this comes from a quick glance at the respective fuel mixes of the UK’s leading gas and electricity companies. Only four companies use renewable energy for more than 10% of their fuel mix, and three of that four are the Green Three.

Striking a balance that marginally favours the ethical side rather than the cost side, the Green Three are successfully addressing the issue of sustainability and renewable energy in a way that many other companies are not.

Balancing Sustainability in Favour of Cheap Gas and Electricity Prices

The fourth energy supplier of those who use more than 10% renewable energy, are E.On. One of the long standing and historically ‘traditional’ gas and electricity suppliers, E.On have taken on the green energy concept better than the others; whilst some 20% behind the Green Three in the ratio of renewable to non-renewable sources in their fuel mix, they are developing that aspect of their business more enthusiastically than others.

Whilst 11.2% isn’t the best, it allows E.On to continue providing cheap gas and electricity prices for their tariffs, and provide them to a wider range of people – with their larger budgets and existing customer base – so that their compromise between cost and ethics might fall in favour of cost, but is nonetheless worth consideration.

For more information, compare cheap gas and electricity prices on ethically minded tariffs, through Ecoswitch’s green energy comparison pages.

Posted under Articles, Gas & Electricity

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

Utilities are a funny thing because they’re completely necessary for existence in the modern world. Nobody wants to pay over the odds for them but rarely do we consider changing from the companies that provide them.

This is especially true of gas and electricity, of which many of us will stick loyaly to the same company for many years, whether their prices increase, the service is bad, or the product is substandard or counter to our principles.

Mostly this is perhaps because gas and electricity providers seem quite ubiquitous: if its all coming from the same place, how could there be a noticeable difference in price or practice coming from different companies?

Even so, differences there are. It might all come from the same place (generally speaking) but there are plenty of differences between costs and services across different energy companies and also within different companies according to their different tariffs.

Green Energy Tariffs – What Makes them Different?

Of course differences are more apparent with some companies and tariffs than with others. The new green energy tariffs are generating a lot of interest and continued attention because they change the fundamentals of the service that is usually extended by gas and electricity suppliers.

These tariffs provide gas and electricity that is sourced from renewable energy technology – solar power, wind power, hydroelectric and wave and tidal power, plus more tentatively, nuclear power and biofuel – meaning that their composition is necessarily different from that of traditional gas and electricity tariffs, which rely on coal.

Of current energy tariffs, then, green energy tariffs are the most original, and are often the subject of the question when talking about switching tariffs for gas and electricity.

Helping to Switch to a Green Energy Tariff – Switching Through Ecoswitch

Often green energy tariffs can work out cheaper than other tariffs, and offer particularly cheaper electricity, as well as it being sustainable and ethical.

Its easy to switch too; Ecoswitch specialises in helping people switch from their current gas and electricity suppliers and tariffs to green energy tariffs.

Focusing particularly on the Green Three – Good Energy, Ecotricity and Green Energy who offer the only 100% renewable energy tariffs coupled with a Supplier Fuel Mix over 40%- Ecoswitch makes it simple to switch; just input a few details and compare tariffs accordingly, then use Ecoswitch to switch, letting us do all the hard work.

If you’re interested in switching to a green energy tariff, have a look at Ecoswitch’s green energy tariff comparison pages.

Posted under Articles, Gas & Electricity

As we all know, gas and electricity suppliers work often on estimated charges and bills. This can be prove something of a pain, both if its cheaper or more expensive than the estimate: coming out cheaper, it can be the case that we’ve saved extra in order to cover the cost f gas and electricity and made sacrifices in other areas that we didn’t need to make. The opposite of course can be true of a low estimate: not accounting for the extra cost incured from the low estimate, we can find ourselves lacking.

That is part of the reason for the invention and introduction of the smart meter. Once installed, the smart meter measures gas and electricity usage in real time, and sends it directly to your gas and electricity supplier. It means, then, that there’s no need for estimates on gas and electricity bills and no unnecessary stress about miscalculations.

Secondly, though, the smart meters have become incredibly popular – particularly with governments, and less so with energy companies – because the on-hand information pertaining to real-time energy usage can lead to an easy system for reducing the amount of energy one uses and the amount of money one spends as a result.

Smart Meters are getting so popular for that reason that the British government, through the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC), are discussing the compulsory implementation of them across the UK. So useful could they be in energy saving, then, the smart meter is being championed as one of the key tools in the ‘do a little, help a lot’ mantra for saving energy nationwide and cutting CO2 emissions.

Green Energy Tariffs and Smart Meters – Saving Energy Twice Over

Of course saving energy by keeping an eye on accurate energy readings is only saving energy within the remit of the gas and electricity tariff by which you’re served energy by your suppliers. In other words, if you cut down on energy in the home, but your supplier is a particularly bad culprit for energy wastage or production, then the environmental benefits of the cut will be less than if you’re with a more ethical supplier.

Certainly, the money saved won’t change, but many see a cut in energy usage as synonymous with environmental issues. Add in the fact that a more ‘green’ energy supplier could also be cheaper, and saving extra cost by saving extra energy certainly becomes possible.

If you’re interested in saving on CO2 emissions as well as on cost, take a look at Ecoswitch’s Green Energy Comparison Price Calculator for information on the UK’s best green energy tariffs, including costs, and how to switch to tariffs that are 100% renewable in their fuel mix and helping the cause against global warming and climate change.

Posted under Articles, Gas & Electricity

is a green energy tariff price calculator that providers information on only the greenest of the UK’s energy companies: Good Energy, Ecotricity and Green Energy are the only gas and electricity suppliers in the UK who provide a fuel mix that goes over 15% renewable energy. Good Energy are currently at 100%, with Ecotricity at 37.4% and Green Energy at 32%.

All three, though, despite their overall fuel mixes, are also the only three companies to offer 100% renewable energy tariffs. Ecoswitch deals in those, so as to ensue that its customers are always getting green energy in the way it should be; not 10% of the fuel mix, but a proper commitment to sustainability, reducing CO2 emissions and promoting renewable energy.

What the Energy Price Comparison Calculator Gives You

Through the energy price comparison, then, you can get preliminary information on the cost of a green energy tariff, as well as enact the switching itself; Ecoswitch is a simple 5 step process towards switching to an ethical, 100% renewable green energy tariff.

It calculates cost according to post and energy usage, and acts an arbitrator between you and the energy companies so that you can analyse and then choose the most pertinent energy tariff for you.

How the Green Energy Tariff Comparison Works

More specifically, the Ecoswitch Green Energy Price Comparison works in the following way:

• Based on either a specific figure for your current yearly gas and electricity usage – or according to approximations at ‘low’, ‘medium’ and ‘high, set by Ecoswitch for those who aren’t sure about their exact energy usage – the comparison calculator takes that figure and combines it with information pertaining to your postcode, in order to give the most accurate examples of cost for green energy tariffs. Specially, it takes the information you gave on gas and electricity usage and calculates cost according to the pricing per unit set by the various green energy tariffs.
• The energy comparison calculator also presents the results from top to bottom at cheapest to most expensive, for ease of viewing and the best way to read and compare the information.
• From there its a simple case of clicking the ‘Switch Now’ button and entering in quick details, and Ecoswitch will do the hard work for you.

So there you have it. If you’re interested in green energy tariffs – be it for cost, reduction of CO2 emissions, sustainability or even just a change of supplier for your own reasons – then have a look at Ecoswitch’s Green Energy Price Comparison Calculator, for more information, and the chance to switch to the new wave of energy companies that are making sure they do their bit for our environment.

Posted under Articles, Gas & Electricity