YouGen has been shortlisted for the Green Web Awards
Ethical Junction member, YouGen, has been shortlisted for the Green Web Awards. The winner will be decided by public vote.
We aim to make it simple for people to find out which (if any) renewable energy is suitable for their home, and then to find a local supplier they can trust to install it. We’re still very new – the full site only went live in April this year, so it’s very exciting to be shortlisted. It feels a bit David and Goliath as one of the other sites in our category is The Guardian’s Ethical Living site.
The inspiration for the site came when we were renovating our house a few years ago. I did a lot of research into biomass boilers, but when it came to deciding whether or not to go ahead I was faced with quotes that differed by £5,000, and no way of telling how the products or installers compared. We played safe and stuck got an efficient condensing gas boiler, but the idea for YouGen was sparked.
While there is now more help available, it is still very difficult for homeowners to know whether they are getting a good deal. Recently published research from Oxford University found that prices for wood-fuelled boilers varied from just over £3,000 to £16,000, and solar hot water systems prices varied from £1,000 to £8,0001.
YouGen helps people to choose a good installer by inviting people who have already used them to rate their service on the website. In such a new market, it’s often not possible to ask a friend or colleague for recommendations.
YouGen aims to plug that gap and help people to choose a supplier by encouraging people to come to the site and rate their installer. We enter everyone who does into a draw each month to win a GEO Minim Home Energy Hub.
Voting for the Green Energy Awards is open until 31 December 2009. If you like what we offer at YouGen, please vote for us!
Cathy Debenham
cathy@yougen.co.uk
www.yougen.co.uk
YouGen is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more
Tags: energy, green energy