Green energy makes it possible to power your home or business without using fossil fuels such as coal or oil.
With the use of fossil fuels being one of the leading contributors towards climate change, now has never been a better time to explore green energy alternatives.
As the world’s first sustainable email marketing platform here at EcoSend, we’ve done all of the research for you in today's post.
So for anyone looking to switch to a green energy provider, here is more information on how green energy works. Plus a list of green energy suppliers to choose from within the UK.
Some of our tips at the end also apply to everyone, regardless of your location.
P.S: 💡Want a free 7 day trial of EcoSend before we begin? Click this link and we’ll get you set up!
Ebico
A great place to start is the UK’s first not-for-profit energy provider, Ebico.
Ebico works in partnership with Octopus Energy, with three tariffs to choose from.
The company’s contribution towards helping the climate crisis is in the form of the Ebico Affordable Warmth Incubator Programme.
The idea is to facilitate the supply of low carbon power to the UK’s most vulnerable households, helping to ensure that the cost of energy bills is not a barrier to reducing carbon emissions over the longer term.
For homeowners or businesses wanting to support positive change within the energy industry, Ebico is certainly one to watch.
Ecotricity
With a headline of ‘let’s end fossil fuels!’ it’s clear that Ecotricity means business. Clean energy business to be precise.
Ecotricity states its electricity is 100% green and is gained from solar and wind energy. At present, Ecotricity generates 20% of its own energy, with the rest purchased from certified green energy providers on the wholesale market.
The company is also building various solar and wind parks across the country, with the aim of expanding the UK renewable’s market, rather than continuing to purchase wholesale energy.
With the wind farms that Ecotricity has already built, 34,000 tonnes of CO2 are being reduced per year.
Green Energy UK
Green Energy UK (or GEUK for short) is the proud recipient of the Which? Eco Provider badge, and has been ranked as the ‘UK’s no.1 best buy’ by Ethical Consumer.
Offering 100% green gas and renewable electricity, GEUK has two main tariffs to choose from. Crucially, the company does not believe in carbon offsetting. Rather, it sets out not to generate emissions at all, which is a much greener alternative in the long run.
An interesting fact is that Green Energy UK’s renewable energy also generates zero grams of radioactive waste, which isn’t something that gets acknowledged as often as it should in the clean energy industry.
Good Energy
With Good Energy, the clue is in the name!
As well as supplying Green Energy, Good Energy is unique in that it installs the likes of air pumps, heat pumps and solar panels as well. These sources of renewable energy can then be sold back to the grid, helping homeowners and businesses to generate an income from their energy sources.
Good Energy are keen to point out they are not a fan of greenwashing. With some suppliers purchasing energy from a mix of sources - Good Energy electricity is strictly 100% renewable, deriving from solar and wind energy.
So, if you’re set on having green energy in every sense of the word, Good Energy are definitely one of the best energy companies supplying the UK market.
Octopus Energy
As one of the best known energy suppliers in the UK, Octopus Energy is also praised for its environmental credentials.
With 100% of its energy powered by renewable sources, Octopus also recently acquired Bulb’s customers, along with M&S Energy customers. So it may be the case that you’ve automatically been switched over, if you were previously a customer of either of these suppliers.
At present, Octopus Energy has capabilities to power 2 million homes with green energy. The company also pays some of its customers for the use of their solar panels, which is a great incentive to use solar as a household.
Between 2018 and 2021, Octopus Energy offset the amount of energy that’s equivalent to 864,268 flights. The company also supplies ⅓ of the UK’s electric charging points - all with green energy!
Ovo Energy
Ovo Energy provides a ‘green energy upgrade’ allowing your electricity to be sourced from renewable sources.
While the amount of energy that Ovo Energy purchases comes from a range of sources, they state that they buy ‘the same amount of renewable electricity to balance this all out’, on their website.
All of the renewable energy they do purchase comes from UK-based independent generators. The green electricity is generated from the likes of hydro, solar, wind and anaerobic digestion.
Also supplied within the contract is 100% carbon-neutral gas, which includes 10% green gas.
In addition, Ovo Energy is also investing in carbon reduction projects such as rainforest protection and the planting of new trees.
Your Co-op Energy
Running on 100% renewable energy derived from community projects, Your Co-op Energy is backed by Octopus energy.
Your Co-op Energy’s energy sources include solar, wind, and hydro farms, with the company also providing climate positive broadband and mobile services.
Two energy tariffs are provided, with the ‘greenest’ tariff boasting a £10 donation to the Community Power Fund and membership points awarded depending on how much you pay per month.
Your Co-op Energy is also Which? recommended.
Left Field Suggestion: Generate Your Own Renewable Energy
If you’re a homeowner, you may be able to make modifications to your home which allow it to generate its own energy.
While the exact measures will depend on your budget, plus any possible planning restraints, some ways of generating your own energy include:
Biomass - Biomass boilers and the use of organic waste to generate heat or electricity through combustion (i.e. Heru).
Geothermal - Heat pumps can be used to harness the heat from underneath the ground to provide heating and cooling throughout a property.
Hydropower - Running water from nearby rivers or streams can generate electricity through the use of micro-hydropower systems.
Solar power - Solar roof panels, solar roof tiles, solar water systems, solar garden lighting & portable solar chargers for devices.
With some of these options allowing you to significantly cut your energy bills, it is often the case that the cost of generating your own energy will pay for itself within just a few years.
Read more: 11 green construction & home renovation trends for 2023
Green Energy FAQs
Want to know more about green energy? We’ve answered some of the most common queries below.
Have any other ideas you want to chat through? Be sure to follow EcoSend on Twitter!
What Is Green Energy?
Green energy refers to energy sources that are naturally replenished such as solar or wind power. Other terms associated with green energy can include clean energy or renewable energy.
Sustainable energy is another similar term, although ‘sustainable’ means the energy source can be replenished faster than it can be used.
As green energy sources do not deplete finite resources, greenhouse gases are reduced and air quality is improved, especially compared with using coal or oil. This makes green energy highly attractive, especially for homeowners and businesses wishing to lower their carbon footprint.
How Is Green Energy Generated?
Biofuels
Geothermal
Hydroelectric power
Solar power
Wind power
Green Energy Advantages
Green energy does not deplete natural resources instantly lowering your carbon emissions as a home or business.
Sources of green energy are often infinitely replenishable, such as solar or wind power.
Improves air quality as fossil fuels are not being burned.
Boasts energy diversification, helping to secure our energy sources going forward.
Can have positive economic benefits for areas where green energy is produced.
Green Energy Considerations
Green energy suppliers can sometimes be more expensive, due to less competition available within the green energy sector. Though this is not always the case.
Some sources of green energy may be weather dependent, making it difficult to fully rely on all year round.
Each type of green energy and supplier has varying green credentials, which should be researched before switching.
How Does Green Energy Work?
Green energy is powered by the likes of solar and wind energy. For you the customer, switching to a green energy supplier means your energy bills are being spent on renewable energy sources, rather than traditional coal or oil powered energy.
How To Invest In Green Energy
Many green energy providers have options for community investment. Or, the ability to purchase solar or wind technology and sell the energy back to energy suppliers.
It’s also possible to use investment apps to invest in green energy companies directly. Though, you will need to do your research and seek advice.
Alternatively, you can also invest in green energy through a third party, such as EcoSend, since our email marketing platform is powered by renewable energy sources.
How To Switch To A Green Energy Provider
Unless you plan on installing green energy technology within your home (i.e. solar panels, biomass boilers etc) - switching to a green energy provider works much the same as switching to a regular provider.
Often, your new energy provider will complete the admin work on your behalf once you enter into an agreement with them.
How Green Is Green Energy?
Good question! The answer depends on the specific energy company, and where they derive their energy from. The greenest energy of all is electricity or gas which is 100% generated by the company itself, through traceable and certified green sources.
EcoSend - Switch To The World’s First Sustainable Email Marketing Platform
It’s fair to say there are many green energy providers who are doing their bit to help the planet. So we hope we’ve inspired you to switch to clean energy.
While you’re here, if you do any kind of email marketing for your business, then we’d also like to get you acquainted with EcoSend.
Most people don’t realise that emails have a carbon footprint. In reality, with 300 billion emails sent per day - a lot of carbon is generated in sending and receiving those emails.
We want to help solve this problem, which is why we created the world’s first sustainable email platform EcoSend.
As well as running on renewable energy sources, we’ll plant trees on your behalf just for using us. Our email marketing plans start at just $49 per month. So why not give us a try?
Or if you want to chat further about how EcoSend can help your business, please drop us a message.
