In order to tackle the climate emergency, we need to drastically reduce our emissions. This cannot be done without decarbonising our energy system which is currently still reliant on fossil fuels (coal and gas). Energy supply currently accounts for 21% of the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions – the second biggest emitting sector after transport.
What can people do to support the decarbonisation of our electricity supply?
The links below provide guidance and advice for switching your tariff
https://www.which.co.uk/news/2019/09/how-green-is-your-energy-tariff/
https://www.cse.org.uk/advice/advice-and-support/green-electricity-tariffs
https://energysavingtrust.org.uk/advice/switching-your-energy-supplier/
https://www.t3.com/features/best-green-energy-supplier
Switching to a green supplier is a great way people can lower their carbon footprint but even a green energy supply should only be used when necessary. As a society, we need to cut down on the amount of energy we use, and very often waste. Small steps can make a big difference for example, only boiling the water you need in the kettle, cutting back on using the washing machine, switching to LED lighting. More info on how to save energy can be found at https://energysavingtrust.org.uk/hub/quick-tips-to-save-energy/
To get to this point, a big part of what needs to happen is speeding up the take up of smart meters, smart appliances, time of use electricity tariffs, and then we can start integrating electric vehicles, batteries, solar PV and heat pumps with electricity demands in a building, so that you can start to have things charging or releasing electricity at the best times.
Benefits of choosing green energy reducing our consumption.