Monday, February 8th, 2010
Consumers are all too aware of the global warming issue, and many of us are seeking ways to reduce our carbon footprints. Now green energy has arrived, we can all do our bit to ensure that our household gas and electricity supplies come from greener sources, and here we explain how.
UK gas and electricity companies now have to make sure the at least 4,9 per cent of the power they supply comes from green energy sources. But what are these green energy sources? Right now there are four to choose from.
1. Solar power transforms the energy we receive from the sun into power for our homes, while wind power harnesses wind energy for the same purpose. We already obtain some of our energy from hydroelectricity, which is when we convert energy in flowing water to electricity. And lastly there is biomass fuel, where natural materials are burnt to provide energy for households.
2. We can all help to increase the level of green energy produced by signing up to the green tariff options now available from the majority of energy companies. There are usually two tariffs to choose from, and either one will lead to an increase in green power.
3. You can usually choose between a green tariff that takes the amount of energy that you consume and then guarantees to produce a matching amount of green energy, or you can choose a tariff that takes the extra money you pay to your supplier to spend on green energy initiatives.
4. Green energies are far more preferable to standard fossil fuel burning energies, as green energies have no harmful by-products, producing very little, if any, waste. Their sources are sustainable too, so their source of power will never run out.
5. Changing to a green tariff is no different than changing to any other gas or electricity tariff. There is no need to have any work carried out in your home, it is simply a matter of handling your account in a different way. It is likely that your current energy supplier will already have at least one eco-friendly tariff for its customers, if not have a look for suppliers that do by doing a quick online search.
If changing to a green tariff is too much of a stretch for your finances, you can instead examine the mix of fuels used by domestic suppliers. Suppliers must now publically provide information that details their CO2 emission levels and the amount of nuclear waste that they produce each year. Use this information so that you can pick a supplier that is greener than others.
British Gas can service all of your gas, electric and
British Gas can not only the leading gas suppliers, but can also provide you with a cheaper electricity supply too. requirements.
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Monday, February 8th, 2010
The way energy companies and their customers measure their power consumption is to be changed forever thanks to the introduction of the Smart Meter. These advanced meter reading systems are to replace traditional gas, water and electricity meters by 2022, and could lead to savings for all of us.
And the British Isles will be aiming to be among the first to overhaul their metering systems according to the British Department of Energy and Climate Change who say that Smart Meters will have replaced every old meter in Britain by the end of the next decade. So why the eagerness to change? We examine the new Smart Meter and all that the new system entails for you.
1. Rather than just receiving one value every month or quarter from a standard gas or electric meter, you will now be able to receive energy consumption information at any time of day using your new Smart Meter, allowing you to better monitor your energy use.
2. The meters pass details of your power consumption back to your supplier so that they can monitor your power use. This means an end to estimated bills and the overcharging that can result with this method of meter reading.
3. Because information is sent directly to your supplier, energy suppliers will no longer need to pay to dispatch meter readers of their own, and hope to have less need for call centres set up to deal with customer queries about estimated bills. This all means savings for suppliers, and could lead to reduced energy rates for all of us.
4. The real advantage to consumers is the ability of the new Smart Meter to let you know exactly how you use your gas and electricity. It comes with a display unit that keeps you constantly updated with your usage. This allows consumers to monitor their energy consumption and better see where they can make savings by changing their energy usage behaviour.
5. Gas and electricity companies are keen to use this new technology as it means a far more streamlined and cheaper system for them to run than the current system, It allows companies to carry out a whole range of services remotely, including monitoring the quality of power supplied, looking for power being used illegally, checking for faults and black outs, changing consumer billing plans and monitoring customer usage information.
In order for us to make the switch to green energy, we will need a metering system in place that can deal with power supplies coming from a range of energy sources. Our standard metering system cannot handle this, and so Smart Metering is a prerequisite to our progress towards greener power.
British Gas can not only provide your gas supply, but are also one of Britain’s leading electricity suppliers.
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Tuesday, February 2nd, 2010
Keeping your gas bills down has become increasingly difficult over recent years with gas prices rises dramatically. But even with price instability you can still take steps to keep your monthly gas bill costs to a minimum. We take you through some easy steps that will help you do just that.
Several variables will affect the amount that you pay for your gas. These include the way in which you opt to pay for your gas bill, the amount of gas that you use over each year, the gas company that you choose, and your location.
1. The only way to guarantee that you are on the cheapest gas tariff possible is to compare gas tariffs across the board and choose which option is right for you. Gas tariffs can change at the drop of a hat so it is important to remember that a tariff that looks too good to be true now may not offer much stability in future.
2. Prior to making any tariff comparisons you need to know how much gas you typically use. This can be done very easily with a utilities calculator. These can be accessed easily online where you will be asked to enter details of your previous gas bills and details about your home, including whether you use gas for cooking or just for heating, and how many rooms your property has etc.
3. The cheapest rates tend to be offered with online accounts. This means that you manage your gas bills online by entering your meter readings and receiving your gas bills over the internet. This does away with the need and inherent cost in posting paper bills out to you. Most of the main energy companies now offer online tariffs.
4. If you do not wish to switch to an online account, you can still make savings by opting for a dual fuel account. By getting both your electricity and gas supply from the same company, you will be able to access their cheaper dual fuel rate, and this makes bill paying a lot simpler too.
5. Your method of payment can cut your monthly bills. Paying by direct debit means that you will usually receive a small discount, whereas paying by cash, cheque or card every time you get a bill in will result in paying a few more pounds per month.
Any way that you can reduce the amount of gas you use will obviously help to reduce your gas costs. This can be done in a variety of ways, including insulating your loft and hot water pipes and installing double-glazing. All of these steps will prevent heat loss and result in less gas being used.
British Gas can not only the leading gas suppliers, but can also provide you with a cheaper electricity supply too.
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Friday, July 24th, 2009
Going green has never been easier. The costs involved are decreasing, the time and effort involved is also decreasing and the number of ways you can reduce your carbon footprint is increasing. There are two main areas where you can do this. One is to use more energy efficient products in your home and the other is to look for alternative sources of power.
Energy efficiency We contribute 40% to the UK’s total greenhouse gas emissions as individuals. This includes cars, electrical products and food waste. But 60% of all our CO2 emissions come from boilers.
Modern energy efficient boilers use 875g less CO2 than regular ones and this could save you around £170 a year. If you add a full set of heating controls, such as timers and individual radiator thermostats, you could up these savings to £275 and 1.4 million tonnes of CO2 a year.
Thanks to British Gas’ latest offer, installing these new boilers has never been easier and cheaper, and if you buy a new or replacement boiler by 25 July you will save £852. This includes money off the new boiler as well as servicing and installation. This mounts up to a saving of over £1000 this year, if you add this to your energy bill.
It’s also important to make sure make sure you have the right insulation, so that less of this precious heat is lost through the roof and walls. British Gas estimates that on a standard 3-bed semi-detached house, you could save £365 annually. Plus if you install the correct insulation the government is offering a tax rebate of £125.
Energy companies are also offering a good selection of green tariffs. A good example is the Zero Carbon plan also from British Gas. It promises to make 100% of the gas and electricity you use carbon neutral. It does this by offsetting you gas usage, matching electricity consumption with that from renewable sources such as wind and water power and supporting investment into new renewable energy generation.
Alternative power sources You can save money whilst not contributing one gram of CO2 to the environment by switching to solar panels which can supply around 50% of your hot water.
40% of Europe’s total wind energy is here in the UK, so it makes sense to harness this free energy source and use it to power our homes. You can produce enough energy to power the lights and electrical appliances in a standard-size home using a small turbine in your garden or on your roof. This means more free electricity and no carbon footprint. If you’re connected to the National Grid, you can even store this energy in batteries and then use it on low-wind days.
British Gas is not just a gas supplier. They can also service all of your electric needs and provide security through their boiler cover services.
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