Switch to a Green Energy Tariff in 5 minutes - and it might not cost any more!

The burning of fossil fuels to generate electricity produces about 30% of the UK's carbon dioxide emissions.* It takes about five minutes to change your electricity supplier to one that supports renewable energy - and it might not cost you any more. There are a number of "Green" electricity suppliers in the UK. One example is Ecotricity who generate electricity using Wind Turbines. They claim to match the standard electricity price of your main local supplier. This means that if you are still on the standard tariff of your main local supplier you can switch to Ecotricity at no extra cost. (If you have previously switched to a better deal, you might find that Ecotricity is a little more expensive.) You can find out more about Ecotricity and buy your electricity from them by clicking here.

For a full range of Green Electriciy Tariffs, visit uSwitch.com and after you have entered your details, choose their Green Electricity option. You might find that your current supplier has a green tariff.

Getting serious - Generate your own renewable energy at home:

• Microgeneration (where you generate small amounts of power close to where it's needed) is becoming increasingly affordable and economic.
• By installing a solar panel or wind turbine you can start to generate your own electricity, replacing use of that generated from fossil fuels. Some schemes even let you sell any excess back to the national grid.
• Small wind turbines or domestic solar panels are no longer the preserve of politicians or Hollywood celebrities.
• BUY A DOMESTIC WIND TURBINE NOW from Windsave.com. They're not cheap (about £1500 + VAT) but you can get a grant towards this and they estimate payback at between 5 and 7 years - after that you will be making a profit.
• BUY A SOLAR PANEL NOW from Solar Century. Information on grants, other suppliers and the planning process will be posted here soon.

Youth Against Climate Change is totally independent and has no connection to any organisation we choose to recommend.

* Source: ecotricity.co.uk

"I've now spent a month trying to reduce the so-called carbon footprint of my home...The most significant thing I have done took just a couple of minutes - I timed it - and I didn't even raise a sweat. What I did will reduce the carbon emissions from the electricity I use to zero - I switched to a green electricity supplier."

Read how Newsnight's "Ethical Man" is trying to live a sustainable life.