Project Switch!

I recently completed the Carbon Literacy Training at St James’s and experienced a renewed sense of shock, and I have to admit, shame, recognising again that it is our individual lifestyles that are continuing to contribute hugely to climate change and the catastrophic damage being wrought on this earth and on people in faraway places, whom I don’t know, but through my faith, am called to love.  The impacts of climate change are no longer a distant headline. Closer to home this year, wildfires have broken out across Dava Moor, North Yorkshire, the Mourne Mountains and Dinas Mawddwy, droughts and flooding are already devastating communities across the UK.

During the course I was suddenly faced head-on with my own greed and selfishness and made acutely aware of my own responsibility in doing more to move towards a low carbon lifestyle.   We have known for years now that we are rapidly and systematically destroying our own life support systems – nature and climate.  Most people want action but don’t realise how many others want it too, but changes in our own behaviour become self-accelerating and self-perpetuating and it is true, now more than ever, that the minority can change things for the majority.

Having just returned from the Greenbelt Festival, I feel provoked and challenged, scared but ever so hopeful.  I listened to the likes of Ian Christie (Enough is Enough), Mike Berners-Lee (Director, Small World Consulting & Professor at Lancaster University) and Tim Lenton (Chair in Climate Change and Earth System Science at the University of Exeter), and mission impossible doesn’t seem quite so impossible anymore and I’ve taken on board the fact that we can each play a part in triggering vital tipping points that can accelerate us out of the climate crisis.

So, where’s this all leading?  As part of this year’s ecumenical ‘Season of Creation’ running from 1^st Sept through to our Harvest Festival on 4^th October, SJP Earth Justice has launched ‘Project Switch!’.  We’re encouraging members of the congregation to look at switching to a green energy supplier, if you haven’t already.  Many green energy suppliers not only source energy from renewable sources like wind and solar but also invest in renewable energy projects. According to a report from the International Renewable Energy Agency more than nine in 10 renewable power projects globally are now cheaper than fossil fuel alternatives.  Solar power is about 41% cheaper than the lowest-cost fossil fuel alternative, and onshore wind generation is less than half the price of fossil fuels.

Switching our home energy supply is a direct and concrete step each individual can take to lead us away from a reliance on fossil fuels and stem the devastating carbon emissions they produce.

If you would like to look into this further, there is lots of support and information below.

And don’t stop there! Talk about this to your family and friends, colleagues and neighbours. A critical mass of people moving to low carbon lifestyles can create a positive social tipping point.

To help us keep track and celebrate this campaign, please email ecochurch@sjp.org.uk if you decide to make the switch and tell us about your experience.

How to Switch!

To switch to a green energy supplier in the UK, use a comparison website to find available green tariffs, input your postcode and details to get quotes, and then select a provider. Your new supplier will handle the switch, so you don’t need to contact your old one. Be sure to check the fuel mix of tariffs, as some are more committed to 100% renewable sources than others.

1. Research and Choose a Supplier

• Use Comparison Sites:

Visit websites like Go Compare, MoneySuperMarket or Compare the Market to compare different green energy tariffs.

• Look for Green Tariffs:

On the comparison site, select the option to view only green or eco-friendly tariffs.

• Check the Fuel Mix:

Read the terms and conditions for each tariff to understand their “greenness”. Some suppliers offer 100% renewable energy, while others may have green tariffs that still use some fossil fuels but also support renewable projects or carbon offsetting.

2. Gather Your Information

• Find Your Details: You’ll need information from your current energy bill, including your postcode, name of your current supplier and tariff, and your annual energy usage in kilowatt-hours (kWh).

3. Make the Switch

• Select and Sign Up:

Choose the tariff that best suits your priorities and sign up with your chosen new supplier.

• Let Them Handle It:

Your new energy supplier will contact your old supplier and manage the entire switching process. You can switch without interruption to your service under the Energy Switch Guarantee.

What “Green Energy” Means

• Renewable Electricity:

This means the electricity is sourced from wind, solar, or hydroelectric power.

• Green Gas:

Since there isn’t enough 100% green gas in the UK to supply everyone, most green gas tariffs are either a mix of green gas and natural gas or use carbon offsetting to compensate for their emissions.

Some renewable energy suppliers:            www.uw.co.uk (Utility Warehouse)

www.ecotricity.co.uk

www.goodenergy.co.uk

www.octopus.energy