Green without seeing red

IT USED to be that opting for a ‘green’ energy tariff meant paying more for your principles. But this is no longer necessary. Hotter competition in the energy market – including green or renewables tariffs – has pushed prices down, which is good news for climateconscious consumers.

The cheapest green tariffs are now about £10 less than the best-buy gas and electricity tariffs. Switching to a ‘green’ tariff still means gas and electricity comes into your home in the same way – most likely from fossil fuels. But a greater proportion of the bill is used to invest in renewable energy.

Renewable energy supplier Engie has a fixed tariff at £873 per year – this is based on average household usage. By contrast, based on the same usage, standard tariffs with the Big Six energy suppliers – including British Gas, EDF Energy and Eon – would cost £250 a year more.

Other competitive green tariffs are available from Bulb Energy, Tonik Energy and Octopus Energy. For more information use a comparison website such as uSwitch or energyhelpline.

Ecotricity, which funds the building of renewable energy sources, including the first green gas sourced from grass, has one of the lowest carbon footprints of any energy supplier.

Brighter World Energy, set up by former business journalist Cheryl Latham, pledges to build a solar powered micro-grid in communities in Africa for every 2,000 customers who switch to its service.