It’s good news for those who support renewable energy plans.  For the first time ever, a new record was set where more than 50 per cent of the UK’s electricity demand was met from renewable sources.

The effort which has been made by the power industry is incredible and the UK has come a long way in reducing its carbon footprint in recent years. We still have a long way to go as coal still produces nine per cent of Britain’s electricity.

According to our research more than 72 per cent of SMEs want their energy providers to be more committed to renewable energy. If you are interested in making a difference. Find out more about renewable energy below.

Renewable Resources

Oxygen, fresh water, solar energy, timber, and biomass are all examples of renewable energy. Renewable resources may include goods or commodities such as wood, paper and leather, because their sources are renewable. Gasoline, coal, natural gas, diesel, plastics and other things that come from fossil fuels are not renewable.

In 2015, the distribution of U.S. renewable consumption by source was [iii]:

  • Hydropower 25%
  • Biomass Wood 21%
  • Biomass Waste 5%
  • Biomass Biofuels 22%
  • Wind 19%
  • Geothermal 2%
  • Solar 5%

What is renewable electricity?

Clean energy that is good for the environment.

The great thing about using renewable electricity sources is that it can be sourced from naturally occurring sustainable resources that will be replenished over time. It’s a win, win for everyone. If you are just starting out with renewable energy, the sources that are more likely to be offered by your energy provider are; solar, biomass, wind or hydropower. Each of these renewable energy services work differently and all have their own advantages. You will be able to find out more about this from other sources online.

Why renewable?

Small business are becoming more aware of their impact on the environment. In recent years we have all become more aware of green energy and the businesses who are using it to become more sustainable. Statistics have shown that 80 per cent of small businesses are placing an increasing value on where their energy comes from.

Why should your business be using renewables? Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). It can be difficult to make the changes, however, it will be well worth it once you have invested. There are also the financial benefits attained through energy-efficiency programmes, such as smart meters which allow businesses to see what they’re using and when, and how much it’s costing them.

Responsible business

If you plan on being an ethical business, then your SME should take an active role in reducing their energy consumption. By switching to a more renewable source, your company is doing their bit in the fight against global warming.

You are also “demonstrating a high level of corporate citizenship” according to a report published by Bain & Company, this will attract customers to your business and will create a stronger corporate image and improve public perception.