A Few Tips for Avoiding Fossil Fuel Use
- Do your research. Find out if there are energy companies in your area that are powered by renewables. The options vary according to country and region. If you’re in the UK, for example, then Green Electricity is a website that will allow you to do a quick comparison of what’s available. If you’re in Germany, then a quick look at OK Power will help.
- If you’re not able to switch providers, talk to your current provider about renewables. If it’s not something they currently offer, keep asking – letting them know that is customer interest in the product is a great way to get them to consider making the change.
- Consider investing in solar panels or other sustainable energy sources.In recent years, solar power has become a strong contender not just in the renewables sector but in the overall energy sector and is a viable, reliable option for powering homes, including cooking and heating water as well as for lighting up your house.
Solar Power For Your Home
Although the initial cost is higher than that of systems that for conventional energy sources, the fuel (sunshine) is free. In some cases, making a switch to renewable energy sources requires an upfront financial outlay – installing solar panels on your roof, for example – but there has been a substantial drop in price over the last few decades and often these systems pay for themselves, in terms of energy bill savings, after a few years, quite aside from the obvious environmental benefits. To take advantage of solar heaters or other solar energy systems, you must have an unshaded, south-facing location (a roof, for example) on your property.
Support Rural Projects Focused on Sustainable Energy
You can also support rural sustainable energy projects – such as RESET project partner Mobisol – on renewable energy. The more people connect to local, renewable energy sources, the less likely the chance that they will be connected to the national power grid, where electricity is mainly generated by fossil fuel. It can also bring energy to areas which were previously off-grid.
There is no need to wait nearly 20 years for the powers that be to install renewable sources of energy, after which the village people would still only be passive consumers of power. By installing solar panels or other renewable energy sources in villages, you can bring about drastic change to the lives of the people in just a few days.
