Energyshare was launched by British Gas in May this year and is one of the best certified green energy options on the market for customers.

Developed in partnership with River Cottage whose aim is to change the way that we source, generate and use energy, the Energyshare concept is hoping to get customers thinking about where their energy supply comes from and to be more environmentally aware. So, if you’re energy conscious and looking for an energy supply that comes from 100% British renewable sources then British Gas Energyshare could be the tariff for you.

Not only does British Gas Energyshare tariff promise customers fuel from 100% British renewable sources it also promises additional benefits to the environment and UK communities.

The environmental benefits include British Gas ensuring that for each unit of electricity used on this tariff that 100% renewable electricity will be put back into the grid. As for communities, they will benefit as British Gas will contribute £10 per year for each customer who is signed up to the package to support community renewable energy projects and British Gas aims to contribute over £15 million to support these projects over the next few years. Customers will also be given some control over this community spend as they will have the opportunity to decide which projects and causes are the most worthy of this investment. Worthy projects currently underway with the support of Energyshare include projects to install solar panels and create wind farms in local communities.

If this doesn’t tempt you to switch to Energyshare then you may be surprised to learn that Energyshare comes at the same price as British Gas’s standard tariff, so you won’t be paying any more for your energy supply. The tariff is also available for both gas and electricity for residential and business customers and when you move to this tariff you will also be given a free energy saving appliance such as an eco-kettle.

With British Gas being the biggest energy supplier supplying over 6 million customers in Britain, Energyshare can only be a good thing for the continual development of UK renewable energy sources and renewable energy projects. If however, you are concerned about whether this tariff delivers on its promises then you will be safe in the knowledge that Energyshare is independently certified and meets Ofgem’s Green Supply Guidelines. Therefore, you can be sure that by choosing this tariff that you are making a real difference to the environment and that results will be measured and improved upon year after year.

Guest Article by Sarah Wain

Are you thinking about switching to an online account for your gas and electricity? British Gas supplies gas and electricity to over 16 million customers in the UK, that’s a lot of gas boilers fired up and even more light bulbs switched on!

British Gas Online Account

The Big 6 have been in the news a lot lately and not entirely for the right reasons. We hear so much about them, but the information usually only goes as far as price rises.

So who are these energy behemoths that fuel our gas boilers and heat our showers in the morning?
After privatisation on March 31st 1990 the energy industry changed dramatically. As a result 6 companies have emerged as key players in the UK energy market.

Npower
Npower supplies gas and electricity to around 7 million customers in the UK and employs over 11,000 staff. It predominantly produces energy using gas-fired, coal and oil powered stations with a small proportion being generated via renewable energy.
During the 1990s it acquired several smaller companies such as Midlands Electricity, Calortex, and Independent Energy and eventually became Npower in 2000.
They are currently a member of the ‘Percent Club’ which requires them to invest more than 1% of their pre-tax profits back into the community.

British Gas
British gas (including Scottish Gas & Welsh Gas) is the largest energy supplier in the UK and delivers gas and electricity to over 16 million domestic and commercial users. The company also operates in the U.S and Canada with recorded revenues of over $22 billion in 2010.
It currently operates 8 gas-fired power stations but also produces energy via various methods including the largest offshore wind farm in Europe. The giant wind farm covers an area of 20 square km and has 54 turbines.

EDF Energy
EDF energy was founded in 2002 and is owned by French state operated EDF SA. EDF stands for Électricité de France. The UK arm employs over 15,000 people and supplies gas and electricity to almost 6 million homes and businesses.
EDF has made a number of acquisitions including London Electricity, SEEBoard and British Energy. They continue to be a big supporter of green initiatives with EDF operating over 20 wind farms in the UK.

E.ON
E.ON supplies gas and electricity to over 9 million homes in the UK. They operate over 20 windfarms, but also utilise hydropower schemes in England and Wales.
It is currently part of the largest investor owned energy service company in the world delivering gas and electricity to over 26 million customers, their headquarters are based in Germany. The group reported revenues exceeding $92 billion in 2010.
E.ON used to be known as Powergen but was taken over in 2002 and renamed.

Scottish Power
Scottish Power was founded in 1990, employs 24,000 staff and supplies gas and electricity to over 5 million customers in the UK. It is also a subsidiary of Spanish utility company Iberdrola.
It is currently in partnership with Sainsbury’s. So if you buy your energy through Sainsbury’s you are in fact using Scottish Power.
Iberdola bought the company in 2007 for £11.6 billion and effectively incorporated it into its structure making it the third largest energy supplier in Europe.

SSE
SSE supplies 10 million customers with gas and electricity in the UK. They were the first company to be awarded the UK Domestic Electricity and Gas Supplier in Customer Satisfaction prize. They were also responsible for building the first deep water wind turbine in the UK.
SSE have also invested over £850 million in renewable generation, refurbishment and various other construction projects.

Guest Article by Louise Goldstein

The Energy Saving Trust is largely funded by the government and was set up to help people in the UK save energy and reduce carbon emissions.

They currently advise 3.5 million people every year and have various advice centres across the UK, which have become increasingly popular during the recession. The Energy Saving Trust was also responsible for setting up the £50 million gas boiler scrappage scheme in 2010, which was a huge success.

One of their most successful initiatives which has helped the UK public is the Energy Saving Trust Recommended Scheme (ESTR) this is offered in collaboration with many of the country’s leading retailers and manufacturers. The accreditation covers over 3,000 products which pass stringent design criteria so customers can be assured they are buying the most energy efficient products.

You can visit The Energy Saving Trust’s (EST) website to see a list of accredited products. Alternatively, you can look out for the EST sticker at any major retailer.

The EST also works with most of the local authorities in the UK and thousands of community groups. In 2009-10 The Energy Saving Trust contributed towards massive CO2 savings, some of which are highlighted below.

• Consumer – 404 tons of CO2
• Housing Associations – 155 tons of CO2
• Small Companies – 7 tons of CO2

Member organisations of the Energy Trust include British Gas (Centrica) and Baxi boilers. These organisations work with EST to improve energy efficiency and promote advice.

The Energy Saving Trust’s website has lots of information on how to save money and the various schemes it runs and supports. I even found some useful tools such as, TrACE (tracking action on carbon emissions). This is mainly used by Local Authorities that want to track and monitor carbon emission reduction in their area.

Visit the  Energy Saving Trust’s website for more information about how it can help you save money and reduce your carbon emissions.

Guest Article by Louise Goldstein

It seems like we’re always being told if we turn our boiler thermostat down by 1 degree we can save X amount and leaving our TVs on standby wastes electricity. But how much power do average everyday home appliances actually use?

My Electricity Bill is Confusing
Generally when you receive your monthly or quarterly electricity bills it is measured by the amount of power used which is denoted by kWh or kilowatt hours. The total amount you pay for using an appliance is calculated by multiplying the power of the appliance by the amount of time it is used. Your energy supplier should state the unit price of electricity on your bill.

For example, if you own a 2.5kW kettle and use it for 1 hour per week and your electricity unit price is £0.08. To calculate the price of using it would be 2.5 x £0.08 which is £0.20 per week or about £0.80 for the month.

Another example, if a 2.5 kW kettle is used for two hours a week, and a unit of electricity costs £0.08, then the number of units used is 2.5 kW multiplied by 2 hours. This is 5 kWh. To find the cost of using the kettle over a week you multiply the number of units used by the cost per unit. In this example the cost of running a kettle over a week would equal £0.40 of your electricity bill.

How much do appliances cost to use?
I found two online tools which were the most useful when trying to find out how much it actually costs to power every day home appliances. The first was UKPower.co.uk it gives you a drop down option so you can check various appliances.  

To power an average 100 Watts lightbulb for 1 month will cost you about £1.2. This equates to about 120 hours of use which means it costs about 1p per hour. I personally don’t like 100 Watt bulbs because they are too bright for my eyes. If you install 60 Watt bulbs the cost reduces down to about 0.72p per month which is quite a big saving over the year if you combine all bulbs together in your house. Incidentally if you are not totally sure what a Watt is here is the definition from batteryeducation.com “A watt is a measurement of total electrical power. Volts x amps = watts.”

I next checked the cost of running a TV which brought back a cost of just £1.80 for 90 hours use a month. I’m not sure how big this television is meant to be but I am presuming it is an average size of around 32 inches.

The next tool I came across is from the U.S, but is still useful for general reference. It’s from Data Vizualization and is basically the same as above but with more choice. According to this tool an electrical water heater costs about $670 per year to run. You can also find out how many kWh appliances use on average which is more useful for people from the UK because you can then compare it to your unit price on your bill.

By far the most expensive thing to run in the home is the boiler and heating system. For big savings it is best to start looking at ways to reduce your heating bills by improving insulation and energy efficiency for long-term savings.

Guest Article by Louise Goldstein