- Good Energy offers advice and support to go renewable in 2011-

  The UK’s leading 100% renewable energy supplier, Good Energy, is encouraging people to ‘make a difference: make a real change’ this New Year. Each year, thousands of people make resolutions that are broken within a matter of days or weeks. Good Energy, which not only supplies 100% renewable electricity, but also supports people across the UK who generate their own power, is calling on people to make a real change to their lives by looking at the energy they use in 2011. 

There are a number of ways that you can reduce your energy use and therefore your emissions without having to make too much of an effort. These include:

- Switch your energy supply to a green tariff. Good Energy is the UK’s only dedicated 100% renewable energy supplier.

- Reducing waste by switching off lights when you leave a room. Lighting accounts for around 20% of the electricity used in the average UK home. Switching to energy efficient CFL bulbs can reduce your consumption by up to 80%, and LEDs could save you up to 95%, with both still producing the same amount of light as a standard bulb.

- Ensuring that your home is adequately insulated. By insulating your loft to the recommended thickness of 270mm you could save around £150 per year on your energy bill, whilst insulating your cavity walls can cut your heating costs by around £115 a year, as well as reducing your household’s carbon footprint.

- Investing in more energy efficient appliances. Always check the energy efficiency label, it will tell you exactly how efficient the appliance is by calculating how much electricity it uses to operate it in relation to its output value. According to Act on CO2 if everyone in the UK switched off unused appliances it would save £800 million a year.

- Becoming a microgenerator. With advice and support from Good Energy you could be generating your own electricity and getting paid for it* 

Juliet Davenport, Chief Executive, Good Energy said:

“We all see New Year as a time to turn over a new leaf and make a positive change in our lives. Traditionally this has been saying you’ll go to the gym, or eat less chocolate, but you can make a simple lifestyle change which is easier to stick to and can make a real difference not only to your future, but others’ too. 

“Good Energy already supplies 100% renewable electricity to over 26,000 homes and businesses, and supports over 1500 independent renewable generators that use wind, small-scale hydro, solar power and sustainable biomass to generate homegrown energy. We’d like to help more people help to get involved in making the UK’s energy mix more reliable on renewable energy, rather than finite fossil fuels.”

More information can be found at www.goodenergy.co.uk/

-ENDS-

For further information please call Stephanie Blott on: 0207 618 9137/07500 842 434 or e-mail: goodenergy@luther.co.uk or call Kate Monson on: 01249 765 692 or email Kate.Monson@goodenergy.co.uk

Notes to Editors

• In April this year, the Government introduced the Feed-in Tariff, a financial incentive for those who generate their own renewable electricity. The Feed-in Tariff makes installing microgeneration much more financially attractive – meaning it’s possible to finance the costs with a bank loan with the income from the Feed-in Tariff helping to cover repayments. Payments will be inflation-linked for all generators and tax-free for domestic properties, guaranteed for 20 to 25 years depending on the technology and the Feed-in Tariff will be paid for your total generation, including the units you use yourselves. The Feed-in Tariff has reduced the payback time for an average household with a south facing roof to under 10 years and resulted in an explosion of small-scale renewable energy installations. Good Energy has operated its own version of Feed-in Tariff for the past 6 years. 
• Good Energy is unique in the electricity supply industry by selling only 100% renewable electricity. Its standard electricity tariff is certified under the independent Green Energy Supply Scheme. To compare the fuel mix of other suppliers please visit: www.electricityinfo.org/suppliers.php 
• More than 26,000 homes and businesses across the UK have switched to Good Energy.
• Good Energy supports a pioneering community of more than 1,500 independent renewable generators that use wind, small-scale hydro, solar power and sustainable biomass to generate homegrown energy.
• The Green Energy Supply Certification Scheme ensures that a minimum of 50kg of CO2 is abated for each customer each year. Good Energy has chosen to do this through investment in renewable heat projects that benefit local communities.
• Good Energy has been named Best Buy for green electricity by Ethical Consumer magazine and came top of a recent Which? survey on customer satisfaction in the utility industry.
• Good Energy has won numerous awards including, most recently: West of England Business of the Year 2009; Sunday Times Green Company 2009; Observer Ethical Award for best online retail initiative 2009; and Juliet Davenport won PLUS markets CEO of the Year in 2009 and 2010.
• Through http://www.generateyourown.co.uk/, Good Energy provides a one-stop shop offering advice, products and installation for people interested in generating their own renewable energy.
• The Good Energy Shop helps customers reduce their energy use and costs and sells energy efficient products for low-carbon living. www.goodenergyshop.co.uk
• Join Good Energy today to receive 100% renewable electricity. Call 0845 456 1640 or sign up online at www.goodenergy.co.uk