SWITCHING TO CLEAN ENERGY AN INFO SHEET FOR HOME OWNERS AND CHURCH LEADERSHIP

A brilliant young person in your home, church or school has joined with Tearfund’s Big Switch campaign. They have approached you to change energy supplier and you may have a few questions. We’re here to help!

HOW EASY IS IT TO SWITCH MY ENERGY?

Very! We’re not talking about installing solar panels on the roof but rather a simple decision that is a click or call away. We want to make it as easy as possible for you to switch to clean energy and so we’ve listed some companies below that you can contact to find out more about their tariffs and compare with others. We only recommend companies that offer 100% renewable electricity tariffs, that source over 80% of their total energy from UK renewable sources.

Bulb Energy - bulb.co.uk Ecotricity - ecotricity.co.uk Good Energy - goodenergy.co.uk Green Energy UK - greenenergyuk.com LoCo2 Energy - loco2energy.com

You can switch your home usually straight away once you are happy with your provider and tariff, and be on your new contract within a few weeks. For schools and churches this takes a bit longer depending on how your decision making process works and when your existing contract ends.

For homes and churches

You are of course free to choose any renewable energy provider you want, but we are also running a number of group buying deals during the year for both homes and churches so that together, Tearfund supporters have the best possible chance of accessing a great 100% renewable electricity deal. Visit www.tearfund.org/switch to register with us, access the latest information and the most up to date options for making the switch. Is it expensive? The number of renewable energy companies offering 100% clean electricity has grown, which has meant that renewable energy is now much more competitively priced. WHY SHOULD WE SWITCH OUR HOMES, SCHOOLS OR CHURCHES TO 100% RENEWABLE ELECTRICITY?

Tearfund’s vision is a world where everyone can live life in all its fullness, and where nobody is hungry, thirsty or gets left behind. This sounds ambitious, but we believe it’s possible. One way we can do this is to take small positive steps in our homes, churches and communities - together these actions will multiply for real impact.

Switching to 100% renewable electricity is one of the biggest things we can do to reduce our carbon footprint. Together we can use our time and money to care for the planet, and stand alongside the world’s poorest people who are most affected by climate change. You will also be actively investing in the future - helping to show government and businesses that there is a demand for clean, renewable energy that can help all people to flourish.

HOW DOES SWITCHING HELP PEOPLE IN POVERTY?

Pollution from fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas hugely contribute to climate change, which is affecting the poorest communities that Tearfund serves. More frequent floods, droughts and extreme weather means that the poorest people are increasingly at risk of losing their crops, livelihoods and homes. This is why Tearfund believes tackling climate change will help us tackle poverty, and by our own actions we can send powerful signals to governments and businesses to make greater strides.

HERE’S HOW IT WORKS

Everyone’s energy comes from the National Grid - which is a mix of polluting energy from fossil fuels and clean energy. A green energy supplier will match the energy you use with clean energy it puts back onto the grid. In the process, we start to clean up the fuel mix on the grid and lower the UK’s carbon intensity.

Energy suppliers either generate renewable energy themselves or buy it from renewable sources. By buying this energy, you are encouraging more renewable generation, increasing investment in clean energy. The energy companies that Tearfund recommend as part of the Big Church Switch are all ones which will give you a 100% renewable electricity tariff, and who source the majority of their total energy supply (over 80%) from renewables.

The more people that switch to these type of companies, the higher the demand, meaning that over time more clean energy will be generated. This will help to lower carbon emissions and limit climate change, whilst also improving renewable technology so that all communities across the world can access clean and reliable energy.

Registered Charity No. 265464 (England and Wales). Registered Charity No. SC037624 (Scotland).