I think this is down to people still believing that trying to switch gas and electricity is a complicated process that can often cause more hassle than it’s worth. Yet in reality switching gas and electricity supplier has never been easier the internet provides a wealth of information at your fingertips and you have groups like Consumer Focus keeping your best interests at heart.

The funny thing is you may actually be able to get the cheapest deal from your current supplier but you do have to ask. However if you find that you need to go looking elsewhere there are a few questions you should be asking before choosing a supplier:

How much energy do I actually use?
This will help you decide which set of supplier rates suit you best.

Which energy tariff is best for me?
Each company offers a selection of tariffs that can vary in price, for instance you are generally always cheaper going for an online tariff and paying by monthly direct debit.

How can I pay my bills?
Most suppliers offer a range of payment options, the most common are; direct debit and quarterly but you can also get a pre-payment meter or pay weekly.

Is the service good?
There are many groups out there that regularly review the customer service of the big energy suppliers and interview customers this means that they can supply accurate information regarding the level of service you can expect from each company. Which? Do a particularly comprehensive survey with a number of different categories.

Hopefully these questions have given you an indication as how you can switch electricity and gas supplier and hopefully save yourself some money.

Do you have any tips or advice?

Big Energy Week sparks debate

The main thrust of their concern is that the efficiency savings which the meters are supposed to engender will not pass sufficient value onto consumers, and enable them to save money on their energy bills.

British Gas has urged the government to continue with the programme, insisting that its customers are happy with the smart meters and are saving cash on their bills.

For more detail on this story see the following websites:

• http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/jan/17/smart-meters-rise-energy-bills
• http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-16565100
• http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/energy/9015415/Which-urges-halt-to-smart-meter-installation.html

Do you have a smart meter installed?

Is it helping you to save on your energy bills?

Please let us know your thoughts in the comments.

Also worth noting is that, as part of Big Energy Week (a collaboration between the Citizens Advice Bureau, energy companies and other bodies), Which is holding a live Q&A session with energy secretary Chris Huhne at 2.30pm tomorrow (Wednesday 18th January) – go to this webpage to get involved.

Now the last thing we want is for people to be worrying/freezin throughout the ‘season to be jolly’ so when we came across this great segment from the National Wildlife Federation on ‘How to save energy in your home’ we felt it was well worth sharing.

The group intend to use ‘smart technology’ to create a renewable energy system on the Isle of Wight, the idea is to show how energy systems will be in the future.

ITM Power are supplying hydrogen production and refuelling equipment that will be connected to renewable energy systems: wind, solar, tidal and geothermal. The technology will be used to refuel hydrogen adapted vehicles.

David Green the Ecoisland founder has said “The collection of technologies that we are bringing together on Ecoisland will provide the total energy solution for tomorrow’s world.”

I think it is another great project for the UK and shows that we are still at the forefront of the renewable energy race.

Do you have any thoughts? Could this kind of money and resources be better spent in the current climate?

Feel free to leave a comment

The first tips obviously regarded usage and size – and we all know that if we use a vast amount of electricity in a big property we’re going to be charged more. It sounds straight forward, but it can be tempting to take a bigger office for a good price only to discover that energy bills are through the roof.

The other tips involved the type of tariff your business is on – if a company switches property it automatically switches to a ‘demand rate’ even if you have been there for a considerable amount of time and it’s up to the business owner to get in touch to change this rate. However, many suppliers offer great deals for businesses, so it’s worth hunting around for a good deal.

Your office is probably no stranger to the guidelines surrounding energy efficiency, but it’s worthwhile doing a review every now and again to check your not wasting electricity – some business save thousands of pound by reducing their electricity use. Get your staff into the habit of turning off lights at night and in unused rooms, and make sure all computers are completely powered down when not in use. Things like energy saving lightbulbs can also save considerable amounts of money in larger companies.

Finally, it’s important to choose your supplier wisely – energy companies offer competitive rates and packages to businesses at the moment, but this can differ depending on the type of business you have. Search around for good packages and always explain your business fully, including the size of your office, the number of staff and the kind of equipment and computers you’re using –  someone might just have a package that’s right for your company’s current circumstances.

So remember, if you’re thinking you might need to switch gas and electricity supplier for your business, just write a list and justify your current contract under five headings: usage, size, tariff, efficiency and company. You might just come to some interesting conclusions.

The beautiful Arctic creatures and their habits are gripping, and the chance to view the earth’s last truly wild landscape is gripping – but the stark message that echoes underneath this beautifully shot documentary series is that these scenes will not last much longer if climate change continues. The seven part series, aims to create a permanent record of the arctic regions before they change forever – and anyone seeing the penguins

By using green energy, and reducing our consumption we can help slow the changes which are destroying this vast and natural habitat for Arctic creatures. Which is well worth thinking about next time the TV is on standby. Here’s a trailer for anyone who hasn’t yet seen the show:

Companies such as Scottish Power claim that planning applications are not processed quickly enough and other companies are stating that they are unsure of the government’s stance on green energy.

The energy company SSE has also raised concerns about the trials attached to setting up a wind farm in Wales, saying that it was ‘more complicated’ than other parts of the UK. The company also said that the Welsh government must provide a ‘stable and predictable environment for investment’ if it is to attract energy companies to the country.

Both energy companies and government ministers have called for the Welsh government to clarify their policies and procedures for renewable energy firms working within the country – in case the country loses the investment and energy companies take their busines overseas.

Research conducted last year showed that wind power is generating around £120 million and employing nearly 789 people in Wales.

Here at Greener Power, we are of course in favour of Wales producing more renewable energy. Would you like to see more renewable energy companies in Wales?

The UK has set its sights on being the European market leaders for offshore wind and the top destination for marine energy investment.

Mr Huhne was speaking at an energy industry conference this week when he stated that there is a general agreement between Westminster’s three main parties that steps need to be taken to make the UK a more attractive destination for renewable energy investment.

Mr Huhne mentioned the £1.7bn which had been committed last year as evidence of the UK’s potential for projects and growth.

However there are some parties showing concern at the Energy Secretary’s plan to put all Britains eggs in one basket regarding spending billions of pounds on what are still extremely expensive technologies and it just cannot be justified in the current economic climate.

It appears that the two key figures involved are Chris Huhne and George Osborne who unfortunately are both pulling in different directions – Huhne is definitely putting forward a strong case for investment in renewables however Osborne seems to be trying to cut him off at every turn and denying the proposed benefits of investment.

One can only hope that both parties have the UK’s best interests at heart.

Read more on this article….

However UK watchdog Consumer Focus isn’t so sure about the size of the impact as most suppliers buy their energy “well in advance”.

We’d love to get some debate going on this move so please drop us a comment, and share your thoughts.

Want to read more…..

The UK’s recent surge in the construction of gas power plants is to be halted by the government as they believe if it continues to go unregulated the growth of the stations could end up breaking Britain’s legally binding targets for CO2.

The number of gas-fuelled plants in the UK has seen a steep increase because they are comparatively quick and cheap to build. They also only generate around 50% of the carbon emissions expected from a coal powered plant.

Recently gas power has been touted as the transition fuel, paving the way for carbon neutral electricity. The director of public affairs for Centrica (they own British Gas) backed up this idea saying “Gas is a critical part of the fuel mix, it is a transition fuel. At this moment in time it is as crucial to the UK, as nuclear and renewables.”

Yet green energy campaigners are showing concern that too many gas plants are being built making it nearly impossible for the UK to adhere to its carbon budgets or worse still once it’s the transition period is over the plants will become stranded assets due to the technology being obsolete in a carbon neutral environment.

In 2010, there was approximately 27 Giga-watts of gas based power capacity in the UK, with 4GW worth of new plants under construction, and a further 8GW having been granted planning permission. At present the installed capacity of all types of electricity generation is 75GW. Yet predictions by the national grid have shown that by 2018 there will be around 45GW of gas based power in the network.