British households join the battle to cut carbon emissions

Only three in ten British households (30%) feel they are doing enough to cut their carbon emissions and 79% of people claim not to have enough information to become more energy efficient, according to research by uSwitch.com.

The results reveal the long way the UK still has to go in the battle to go green – it is currently behind its carbon emission targets and is likely to fall between 2 - 5% short of its 2010 target of reducing Co2 by 20% - making the need to promote consumer awareness and increase take-up more important than ever.

Research into the green psyche of the UK consumer shows that six in ten (61%) say they have insulated their homes in a bid to be more energy efficient and 57% are already washing their clothes at a lower temperature to reduce the amount of energy they are using.

While, individually, consumers are making great strides, collectively the UK needs to review its aversion to green energy tariffs. Less than 1% (0.8%) of consumers in the UK are signed up to a green energy tariff. Green tariffs are on average 4% more expensive than standard tariffs, which adds £13 a year to green electricity bills. Removing the 5% VAT would flip this around to make green tariffs £5 a year cheaper than standard tariffs.

In a bid to make green tariffs more accessible and empower consumers to make even more of a difference, uSwitch.com has launched a green guide (uswitch.com/green) designed to demystify green energy tariffs and encourage take-up, which could make a real difference to the environment and the UK in meeting its ambitious targets by 2010.

The UK has just 1% of the world’s population yet it produces 2.3% of the world’s CO2, with more than a quarter (27%) of these carbon emissions coming from UK homes. However, nearly two thirds of people in the UK (61%) underestimate how much households contribute to the UK’s carbon emissions. The average household currently spends about 10% of their electricity bill on appliances that they are not even using. Up to twelve gadgets are left on standby or charging at any one time, which emit four million tones of excess CO2 a year and waste more than £740 million annually.

Geoff Slaughter, Energy Product Manager at uSwitch.com, says: “Increasing awareness of global climate change is one thing, but persuading consumers to change behavior is another. We all have a role to play in the battle against carbon emissions, but for people to fully engage they need the right ammunition in the form of information and incentives. Consumers need to see viable alternatives that will not adversely affect their pockets.

“One of the simplest steps that consumers could take is to switch to a green energy tariff. If the Government removed VAT from green tariffs to bring their costs in line with standard tariffs we should see an increase in take-up. This in turn should stimulate demand for renewable energy and boost the development of low-carbon technologies.

“Currently there is a complete lack of clarity over what constitutes green energy. Consumers have quickly understood the significance of monitoring their energy usage and improving the efficiency of their own homes, but they are struggling to understand how and why certain electricity tariffs are greener than others. With this in mind, we have created a guide to inform consumers thinking about moving to a green energy tariff.”

All the leading energy providers in the UK offer green tariffs, but there are also a number of specialist providers. The consensus is that going green is expensive when in reality this is not the case. Some green energy tariffs do carry a premium, but on average they cost as little as £1 month more, which is a relatively small price to pay. However, as with standard energy tariffs, there is a whopping £130 discrepancy between the cheapest and most expensive providers, so consumers are advised that it is worth comparing green credentials and all the prices before making the leap.

uSwitch research shows that 41% of people are prepared to pay up to £50 extra to use energy from a renewable source, putting green tariffs well within their reach.

Geoff Slaughter concludes: “The onus is on energy providers to educate consumers about green products and on the Government to incentivise consumers to see it through by removing the 5% VAT from green tariffs. Energy companies are obligated to provide a certain amount of renewable energy every year and while the majority of consumers continue to snub green tariffs then the companies will only continue to do the minimum required to meet their quota.

“We have a golden opportunity to successfully build on the growing consumer support and interest in combating carbon emissions. If the Government gets this right they could successfully harness this huge groundswell of public sentiment and turn it into a massive force for change. But if they get it wrong and the public loses interest then this could turn the UK’s efforts to go green into an uphill battle wading through treacle.”

Energy saving measures for householders

Don’t leave household appliances on stand-by, the average household spends about £37 per annum by leaving appliances on standby
Use energy efficient light bulbs – this can cut energy wastage by over three quarters as UK households use £1.9 billion worth of electricity every year on lighting. If every house installed 3 compact fluorescent light bulbs enough energy would be saved a year to supply all street lighting in the UK
Ensure your house is properly insulated – 50% of heat lost from an average home is through loft space
Lower your thermostat by 1°C - this can cut 10% off your bills
Use energy efficient appliances - they use less power so are cheaper to run and are responsible for fewer greenhouse gas emissions - great news for the environment!

Climate change – the facts

The annual flow of carbon emissions is accelerating at a rapid pace. The level of 550ppm Co2E could be reached as early as 2035. At this level there is at least a 77% chance of global average temperatures rising by 2?C
Ecosystems will be particularly vulnerable to climate change, with an estimated 14 – 40% of species potentially facing extinction if temperatures increased by 2? C
The stock of greenhouse gases could more than treble by the end of the century - this means we would face at least a 50% risk of exceeding 5? C global average temperature change. An illustration of the scale of such an increase is that the planet is now only 5? C warmer than the last ice age
With global warming of 4? C, global food production is likely to be seriously affected
According to one estimate, by the middle of the century, 200 million people may become permanently displaced due to rising sea levels, heavier floods, and more intense droughts.