Why can I not specify that my electricity comes from renewable energy source instead of Oil,coal etc.?

Question

Having just received my letter from Npower saying that my gas and electricity are going up in price, due to soaring oil price, causing coal etc to rise, in turn making it more expensive to produce electricity.

Why can I not specifiy that I want my Electricity to be produced by renewable energy source??? This would make the Government more likely to push for 'greener' energy sources.

Answer 1

you can ...disconect from main supply and buy solar panels and a wind turbine.

renewable energy is clean but its not cheap to set up so is not going to be any cheaper for a long time to come.

Answer 2

You can.

go to Uswitch.com and chose (I can't remember which) the power supplier who offers a green tariff.

Be prepared to pay a lot more though!

Answer 3

Buy some solar panels, put up a windmill, get off the grid...if you really want to be green.

Answer 4

Buy solar panels and sell that expensive electricity back to the rest of us.  Vote for people in government who have made efforts to make our energy use more responsible.  But please don't start silly fights with the power company.  Let's look at the possible outcomes:  1) they say, 'sure thing, but your bill has just tripled'; 2) they say, 'we simply don't have the capability to do that, so you are stuck with things as they are'; 3) they say, 'we said we can't do that, and if you don't like it, cut off your power'.  

You see, they don't have to do anything and you don't have to do anything.  You can't make them use one method or another--all you can do is ask them or vote with your wallet.  So decide you could get by using less power, start making your own, or buy what they offer.  Money doesn't buy you the right to tell someone else how to live or run their business, it is merely something you give them that they may miss if you decide to take care of your power needs elsewhere.

The technology is getting better very quickly and the political climate is changing.   We'll be on a lot more renewable resources in the next ten to twenty years.

Answer 5

In some places you can choose your power provider. Choosing any renewable/environmentally friendly source is invariably more expensive though. Here in NC I can "purchase" so many units of green power from NCGreenpower, but it doesn't save me money and just costs extra.

Answer 6

yeah, perhaps we should build a power plant just for you, that would be very economical.

You may get your wish many years from now, but yet i'm afraid.

Answer 7

You can in Austin, Texas and other places. Lots of utilities have green energy programs. You should ask your local utility if they have such a program.

Answer 8

If you're talking about saving money, then what you have IS actually the cheapest method.

There simply isn't any real market yet for alternative energies due to little support and high cost. Solar and wind are available from a select few independent developers, but it's incredibly expensive and usually never replaces grid energy completely.

If you're not concerned about cost and want to be greener, the extra money will still be justified AND the units will eventually pay for themselves!

here are a few solar providers

www.thesolarcenter.com

www.enertia.com

www.sunpowercorp.com

www.akeena.net

Answer 9

In the UK you can choose from several renewable energy suppliers to deliver over the grid. You just change the person who bills you.

Npower even used to have a scheme.

there are several different levels of renewable, some also invest in renewable generation, some have better ethics etc. the choice is yours.

Answer 10

Coal is still one of the cheapest ways to produce power which is why its so common.

All types of power have pros and cons.

Wind mills

Pros - Its clean

Cons - Kill birds and don't make much power unless you build huge numbers of them.

Hydroelectric

Pros - Its clean.

Cons - Dams rivers preventing fish from spawning.

Coal/Oil

Pros - Its cheap.

Cons - Its dirty.

Solar

Pros - Its clean.

Cons - Its expensive and requires a lot of land to get much power.

Answer 11

Due to the lack of funding/support/etc. for renewable energy research and infrastructure development, it's likely that you simply cannot GET energy from a renewable source where you are.  Many statements have pie chart breakdowns of where the energy you are supplied with comes from.  I looked at mine once... .07% came from wind energy - and they were proud of that!  

The best way to change this is to start electing candidates who have a green platform and are actually willing to work towards change (and aren't in big oil's pocket...but that's another story).  It will affect change faster that way than the way you suggest.  Contact your current elected officials to express your concern over this and start to make your voice heard.

Answer 12

In some places you can, but it generally costs more.