Electricity Providers
The tables below show the tariffs on the market for an average family that has never switched suppliers that uses around £400 worth of electricity and £550 worth of gas a year and lives in Hertfordshire.
You should note that Zero Carbon is only available to "dual fuel" customers. The figures show that a household that has never switched supplier can save money by going for a green option.
An energy specialist at Friends of the Earth suggested that consumers should also look at companies who don't rely on carbon trading schemes. She told the Guardian (04/08/07) "these are incredibly difficult to decipher, and open to all sorts of abuse". Some companies for example actively build wind farms in order to increase capacity.
| The cost of going green for a family spending £400 per year on electricity | |||
| Supplier & Tariff | Annual cost difference | % renewable energy in the suppliers’ overall fuel mix | Kg of CO2/kWh generated by supplier |
| Scottish Power – H2O | £49 less | 6.6% | 0.580 |
| Southern Electric – power2 Nil Service Change | £45 less | 8.4% | 0.520 |
| npower – Juice | £35 less | 5% | 0.406 |
| Sainsbury’s Energy – Green | £29 less | 3% | 0.527 |
| Edf Energy – Green | £29 less | 3% | 0.527 |
| Southern Electric – RSPB | £25 less | 8.4% | 0.520 |
| British Gas – Future Energy | £No Change | 3% | 0.354 |
| Powergen – Go Green Electricity | £8 more | 3.8% | 0.616 |
| Green Energy UK +10 | £32 more | 41% | 0.004 |
| Electricity New Energy | £36 more | 20.20% | 0.004 |
| Ecotricity – New Energy Plus | £56 more | 20% | 0.004 |
| Utilita – planetsaver | £66 more | 4.00% | N/A |
| Green Energy UK 100 | £79 more | 41% | 0.004 |
| Good Energy – 100% renewable electricity | £87 more | 100% | 0.000 |
| Source greenhelpline.com (2007) | |||
| Dual fuel – current spend £500 gas and £450 on electricity | |||
| Supplier & Tariff | Annual cost difference | % renewable energy in the suppliers’ overall fuel mix | Kg of CO2/kWh generated by supplier |
| npower – Juice | £79 less | 5% | 0.406 |
| Scottish Power – H2O | £65 less | 6.6% | 0.580 |
| Southern Electric – power2 Nil Service Change | £42 less | 8.4% | 0.520 |
| Southern Electric – RSPB | £36 less | 8.4% | 0.520 |
| Powergen – Go Green Electricity | £8 more | 3.8% | 0.616 |
| British Gas – Zero Carbon | £60 more | 3% | 0.354 |
| Utilita – planetsaver | £160 more | 4.% | N/A |
| Source greenhelpline.com (2007) | |||
Choosing the Right Tariff for Your Heating
You can save money on your fuel bill if you switch to a better tariff. Energy companies offer a range of different deals and this may help. Please note that these tariffs we've listed are in the context of a ground source heat pump installation. We aven't supplied information for users of conventional central heating systems. If you need help, we suggest that you contact the independent gas and electricity watchdog - Energywatch. Their aim is to get the best deal possible for energy consumers. They provide advice on different tariffs and assist with choosing the best tariff based on energy consumption. We've provided their details in the Links section of our website.
The following are some tariffs which may be interesting.
Economy 10
If you have a ground or air source heat pump or an electric boiler, the best tariff is likely to be Economy 10. These tariffs give you a cheaper price for all the energy you use during certin "off peak" hours.
With Economy 10 you can get 3 hours in the morning, 2 hours in the evening, 5 hours overnight. Off peak times vary from supplier to supplier so speak directly with your supplier about this. As we've stressed elsewhere, make absolutely sure your supplier knows where you are located and that they apply the correct off peak rate to your area.
Energy can cost up to twice the price during peak hours. To help save money, try and use your appliances (washing machine, tumble dryer, dishwasher) in off-peak hours when electricity costs less.
Staywarm Tariff
Staywarm is a special tariff that has been set up especially for the over 60s. It means that you pay a fixed amount for all the electricity you use. You might prefer to use this tariff if you have a ground or air source heat pump. The benefit of this system is that you will not get any unexpected bills as monthly payments are fixed for a year. Obviously however, this tariff will provide more benefit during a cold winter than a mild one. As with all tariffs, once you have been given an estimated price, you should compare it with other suppliers' tariffs. This is especially important if you are a low energy user.
Green Tariffs
Many suppliers offer green and carbon offset tariffs which allow you to get your electricity from renewable sources or part of the money you pay will help make savings through energy saving measures in programmes carreid out by the suppliers.
Energyplus Care
This is a tariff for customers who already receive their energy supply from Scottish Hydro Electric and who meet certain criteria - for example customers they assess as being vulnerable and who are worried about being cold because they have acute housing needs or are spending a lot of their income on energy bills. Qualifying customers can get up to 20% off their fuel bills. Contact the energyplus Care helpline on 0800 622 838 for more information or call Freefone 0800 512 012.
