How to switch to 100% renewable energy and save money doing it.
As with many people in the UK I have been under contract with British Gas or another “big 6” energy provider for the duration of my home-ownership.
I didn’t want to switch. I was scared. Scared the process would be cumbersome, scared that my bills would go up. Scared that I would be watching Making a Murderer and suddenly my house would plunge into darkness.
The reality is that these fears and any others are completely unfounded.
Here is a comprehensive list of my fears in order of severity. And underneath is an explanation of the reality and of why you should switch to an alternative energy supplier like Bulb.
1. Scared of a cumbersome process
Fear Outline: I am a complexity averse person. I want the simplest possible bills. Changing energy supplier sounds troublesome. Will I have to sign lots of things and send them back? Or prove my identity? Oh, why bother.
Reality: If you know your name and address and have a recent bill to hand or online then you can make the switch in under an hour. It’s frighteningly simple…. So simple that I wasn’t sure I had done it right until I received an update email.
2. Scared that my house would plunge into eternal darkness
Fear Outline: Scenario….. I make the switch… one day I am watching TV, I have a pizza in the oven. Suddenly, the lights turn off. My pizza is ruined, I just missed the final episode of the last series of Game of Thrones. My new energy provider’s customer service people are based in Papua New Guinea and have no concept of the Iron Throne and why it is so important.
Reality: The actual energy that heats and provides electricity to your house does not change. It comes to your house via the same cables and pipes. The difference is the source of the energy. If you have consistent power now. You will have it after.
3. Scared of early leaving fees
Fear Outline: Urghhh…. I don’t want to pay the fee. I don’t know how much it is. I don’t like paying fees. I’ll do it later.
Reality: Bulb (New energy provider) pay any fees. Even the ones charged by your old energy provider.
4. Scared that my bills will go up
Fear Outline: My bills are a little high now but I have become accustomed to them. Better the devil you know right?
Reality: Bulb is on average 15% cheaper than the Big 6. For me personally, my bills were lower. Not significantly, but I saved around 10%.
So if all of these fears are unfounded then why not switch? If your energy is supplied by a “Big 6” energy provider, you are likely receiving from 60%-95% non-renewable electricity.
With Bulb your electricity will be 100% renewable and your gas will be 10% renewable. So why are we choosing to destroy the planet with our energy consumption when it is cheaper and easier to save the planet with our energy consumption?
If any readers need a little bit more incentive to make the switch. Then how about this. Bulb gives £50 to anyone who switches through this link.
They also give £50 to me for recommending another person to switch. But I am not writing this article for £50 switching bonuses, I want you to switch and I want more people to use green energy.
So, any bonuses I receive as a result of this blog post will be given to charity. If you switch using the link above, and I receive £50 then Jungle Straws will send you an email proving that we donated £50 to a charity that aims at cleaning the world’s oceans.
Simply click the link, have a recent bill ready and follow the steps. It’s so simple.