The climate crisis is one of the most pressing issues of our generation and should not be drowned out by the pandemic. During the lockdown, it had been observed that energy consumption for computers has increased by 80% according to E.ON. With this increased consumption, an important issue to look into is that of your energy supplier and if they provide you with clean energy so that you may reduce your carbon footprint, working towards a greener tomorrow.
When looking for an energy supplier or energy tariff, a general rule of thumb is that you should look at if the supplier in question generates energy from non-renewable fuels, such as coal, oil, gas and nuclear energy. Also, check to see if the owner of the energy supplier has investments in any of these environmentally harmful sources of energy. Let’s look at the second most popular energy supplier, E.ON. 54.4% of their fuel mix 2020 can be attributed to natural gas, which is extracted via fracking. This is very harmful to the environment as it leads to water pollution, increasing amounts of droughts, noise pollution and the spread of toxins. Although it may be less harmful to the environment than coal, this means that less is invested in renewable sources of energy such as hydroelectric or solar power.
So, how could you find out if your energy providers are generating energy using 100% renewable sources? Well, all energy suppliers typically have their fuel mixes available to view at your discretion online. A fuel mix informs you of where your energy supplier is generating its energy from and is indicative of if your supplier is producing energy from renewable sources. Make sure that the energy provider you’re using has a fuel mix biased towards renewable energy. Major oil companies, such as Shell, are having increasing amounts of pressure put on them to invest in cleaner energy and carbon capture solutions. Additionally, they are pulling more and more investments away from fossil fuels, oil and gas both onshore and offshore. You can increase the pressure on the companies yourself to get the changes to happen more quickly by contacting them and voicing complaints. If you’re looking for one of the most environmentally-friendly energy suppliers in the UK, the most popular choice is Bulb, which generates electricity purely on renewable energy sources such as solar or wind energy, which are produced through carbon-neutral processes.
You can find out who your energy supplier is and how to contact them by taking the following steps: Find out who your energy or gas provider is and details of your energy tariff on a recent energy bill; use the Meter Point Administration’s online search tool: Find My Supplier to find your gas supplier; to find your electricity supplier Use the Energy Networks Association postcode search tool to find out the name of your network operator and their telephone number. Your network operator will be able to tell you who supplies your electricity. More information can be found at: www.ofgem.gov.uk.
