How green energy can save you £380 and help the planet too
YOU could help save the planet and yourself a whopping £380 by switching your energy bills to green energy.
Many top energy suppliers started offering green tariffs in both an attempt to save the environment and to secure new customers.
They've also gone cheap to make sure they can compete with the energy saving deals going around at the moment.
In fact, the cheapest energy deal on the market is currently a green one, so you could save hundreds by switching and help the planet at the same time.
Rik Smith, energy expert at comparison website uSwitch told The Sun: "Suppliers are offering more and more renewable energy options, so there's now even more choice in the market."
What is green energy?
Green energy refers to generating electricity via hydro, solar, wave or wind power - basically by not exhausting the Earth's resources.
The provider also has the cheapest fixed deal on the market - its FIX’D 19X 7.0 tariff costing £891 this year.
As it's fixed for one year this protects you from price hikes but does mean it comes with dual exit fees of £60 if you leave early.
How to find the cheapest energy deals
FIRSTLY, you’ll need to have a recent bill to hand. This will have all the details you need, including the name of your tariff and your recent spending on gas
Use a comparison website: Customers can use websites such as uSwitch.com or Energyhelpline.com to compare tariffs and find a cheaper deal. You could save up to £400 a year if you’ve never switched before.
There are other service you can turn to: MoneySavingExpert’s Cheap Energy Club will let you set up an email reminder that alerts you when cheaper deals become available.
Things to do before you switch: Compare prices and before you switch check to see if you can get cachback from a website like Quidco or TopCashback
In comparison, energy prices are capped a year £1,254 so if you're on the priciest tariff you could save a whopping £381 a year by switching to Outfox The Market's cheapest deal.
And in fact six of the top ten energy deals are green - although of course the best provider for you depends on where you live and how much energy you use.
So always do a personalised comparison using a free online tool before switching.
And don't forget to check reviews to see how their customer feedback is - this is something MoneySavingExpert.com's Cheap Energy Club details after listing the results.
According to Mr Smith: "Whether you're on a standard variable tariff or a fixed deal that's soon coming to an end, a green energy tariff could not only help reduce your carbon footprint but also save you money."
Many Brits believe climate change is the biggest crisis we face today - going green with your energy supplier could help.
And while you're contemplating switching to clean energy, check whether you are owed hundreds by your current provider.
Sorted with gas and electricity? Make sure everything is okay with your phone and broadband too.
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