Paying for Utilities? Pay Green!

Back from holidays with no West Nile virus to report I’m happy to say. This week – investing in renewable energy….

TO Do This Week
The US government has finally admitted its addiction to oil and is directing a little money to the development of renewables. The Canadian government is doing little to support renewable energy, despite mumblings on the contrary. It’s all well and good to say you support it. It’s another thing to assign money to it.

Provincial and state governments, with the support of utility suppliers, are a little more hip to the need to invest in renewable energy.

But it hasn’t been enough.

We also can invest in renewable energy. Not all of us have the time, money or know-how to invest in stocks and bonds, let alone green stocks. There are alternatives of course – your RRSPs and mutual funds for example.

Utilities - Another way is to direct your utility bills to a company that invests that money in clean energy such as wind, solar and low-impact hydro-electric. Or you can invest in green certificates.

What’s the Big Deal? – By choosing a green utility, you pay a bit more than you would with a regular utility supplier (can be $30 a month more), but your money goes towards strengthening an industry that must be the future of energy for our planet. By investing in alternative energy, you are investing in zero GHG emissions. That $1 a day is a $1 a day for your descendents.

Here is another matter to consider, especially for North Americans. Renewable energy is a growing energy. Its potential is tremendous for the economy and job creation. The global wind industry, for example, has been growing by 40% per year. Canada has incredible potential for wind power and yet .1% of its electricity comes from wind. The Canadian government would much rather invest heavily in non-renewable energy such as oil and coal than the energy of the future. Europe and US States such as California are making great waves in this area, leaving Canada in their wake.

Green Utilities
Some utilities are putting their money where their mouths are when it comes to green energy. Find out what your utility is doing for renewable energy by visiting their website. Want to go farther? Check out the following links….

Canada
To find out about investing in green power in your province, please visit Pollution Probe’s A Consumer Guide to Green Power in Canada.

Once Jane and I buy our home, we are going with Bullfrog Power.

USA
To find out about green power in your state, please visit the US Department of Energy’s Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy page.

UK
Green Energy UK

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