Renewable energy: the uSwitch guide

Read this guide for essential information about green energy (renewable energy).

For more information about some of the terms we use, click on the highlighted words or see our renewable energy glossary.

To find out how you could switch to green energy, try our impartial comparison service.

Green electricity is generated from natural and renewable energy sources that reduce our impact on the environment. Solar energy, wind energy and water power (hydroelectricity) are all types of renewable energy.

We call these green energy sources "renewable energy" because, unlike fossil fuels such as coal and oil, green energy sources will never run out.

You can support renewable energy in the UK by signing up to a green electricity tariff.

The gas we use in our homes is not renewable, since we rely on gas reserves underground. To reduce the environmental impact of the gas you use, you can sign up to a green gas tariff - your gas supplier will offset the gas you use by producing renewable electricity to feed into the National Grid.

Find green electricity and green gas tariffs with uSwitch

Using renewable energy or green energy enables you to reduce the carbon dioxide that goes into the atmosphere because of the energy you use - your carbon footprint. This helps to reduce climate change.

By using renewable energy sources like solar energy, we also reduce our dependence on oil and coal reserves, which are becoming more expensive and difficult to find.

The Government has set a target to produce 10% of the UK's electricity from renewable energy sources by 2010.

A green energy plan is an option offered by an energy provider that lets you support their use of renewable energy like solar energy. Options for green energy tariffs include:

• Energy match: your energy supplier matches some or all of the electricity you use by producing renewable energy that they feed into the National Grid.  
• Green fund: your supplier funds renewable energy or environmental projects on your behalf.
• Carbon offset: your supplier offsets the CO₂ emissions from the energy you use, by planting trees or investing in CO₂ reducing projects.

Some green energy plans do cost a little more - the money is used to fund renewable energy production or environmental projects. And with uSwitch you can find a green energy plan that offers you the best deal. Find the right green energy plan for your household with the uSwitch comparison tool.

After switching to a green energy plan, you can reduce your energy bills in other ways - for example, by reducing the energy you use.

The major electricity suppliers in the UK provide green tariffs. There are also green electricity suppliers that specialise in green energy production.

uSwitch can help you find a green energy supplier. To locate green energy suppliers in your area, try the uSwitch energy supplier comparison tool.

You can use solar energy to generate electricity or heat water:

• Solar electricity uses photovoltaic (PV) cells to convert sunlight into renewable electricity. You can install roof tiles covered in PV cells. They generate solar energy in any weather and are most effective on south-facing roofs. You can use the solar electricity for your lights and household appliances or sell renewable energy back to the National Grid.
• Solar water heating uses dark panels on your roof to absorb solar energy as heat. By running tubes of cold water through these panels, you can use solar energy to heat water for your home.

Solar energy is a clean and renewable energy source, and solar panels produce solar energy for free. However, solar energy panels can be expensive to produce and install, so it might take several years for the savings on your energy bills to match your initial investment.

Because UK sunlight is not very strong, energy companies can't build solar power plants to produce solar energy on a large scale - but individual homes can generate enough solar energy to make a real difference.

Wind energy uses power from the wind to turn turbines and generate renewable energy.

Energy companies generate renewable energy in wind farms - hillsides covered in giant wind turbines. You can also generate your own renewable energy from the wind by installing a small wind turbine at your house or on your land.

Like solar energy, wind energy provides clean renewable energy for free - but unlike solar energy, it's particularly suited to the UK's windy weather.

Large-scale wind energy farms take up space, are noisy and are considered ugly by some people. Small scale wind turbines can be expensive to buy and install.

As well as solar energy and wind energy, there are various other renewable energy sources, including hydro electricity, biomass, geothermal energy and biodiesel.

Nuclear energy is not renewable - it relies on nuclear fuel which must be mined out of the earth, much like coal. Some people consider nuclear energy to be green because it does not produce carbon dioxide. But nuclear energy does produce nuclear waste, which is difficult to dispose of safely.

All these energy sources have advantages and disadvantages - but all renewable energy sources produce far less pollution and are more sustainable than burning coal, oil and gas.

Biodiesel
Biodiesel is diesel fuel made from natural oils, such as rapeseed oil. It's usually mixed with normal diesel fuel before being used in cars.

Using biodiesel means we burn less fossil fuels, but growing biodiesel crops takes a lot of land and increases the pesticides and fertilisers we use.

Biomass
Biomass is organic matter like crops and manure, which can be burned to create renewable energy. Wood is a form of biomass fuel.

Carbon footprint
Your carbon footprint is a way of understanding your own impact on the environment. It's an estimate of the carbon dioxide generated from:

• the energy you use in the home
• the way you travel
• making producing and transporting the products you buy
• using renewable energy like solar electricity will reduce your carbon footprint because it does not produce carbon dioxide.

Climate change
Climate change (also called global warming) is a change in the Earth's climate because of the pollution created by humans - particularly the carbon dioxide (CO2) produced when we burn fossil fuels like oil and gas.

We can try to reduce climate change by using renewable energy instead of fossil fuels.

Geothermal energy
Geothermal energy uses heat from inside the Earth's core to produce electricity or heat water or homes. This renewable energy source works well in volcanic areas where the heat from the earth's core comes close to the surface.

Hydro electricity
Hydro electricity is renewable energy that comes from water such as rivers, waves and tides.

Hydroelectric power plants usually involve damming rivers or putting barriers in the sea. Because of this, some people argue that this form of renewable energy is bad for the environment.

National Grid
The National Grid is the UK's electricity transmission network. Energy companies feed electricity from non-renewable and renewable energy sources into the National Grid - and the energy you use is a mixture of all of it.

Nuclear energy
Nuclear energy generates electricity from the breakdown of radioactive materials, called nuclear fuels.

Many people argue that nuclear energy is renewable energy as it does not use fossil fuels. However, lLike fossil fuels, nuclear fuels will eventually run out. Nuclear energy does not produce carbon dioxide, so it is sometimes considered to be a green form of energy. But nuclear energy does produce nuclear waste, which is difficult to dispose of safely.