Renewable energy website makes it easy for householders to choose

People who want to make their houses as low carbon as possible will benefit from a new website which aims to bring together all the advice people need in one place.

Ignorance and not knowing where to go for information are just two of the difficulties people new to energy efficiency and renewable energy face. YouGen helps them to overcome these barriers by providing well-researched, independent information and, for those who want to go into the subject in depth, it provides links to places where they can find more detailed information.

The lively renewable energy blog adds to the range of information available, and enables both individuals and suppliers to add comments and join in and discuss issues they are interested in. YouGen Energy Experts will write regularly about their technology, answering common questions and giving practical advice.

“I noticed that there was a gap in the information available when we were renovating our house and trying to make it as low carbon as possible,” says YouGen founder Cathy Debenham. “While it was easy to find information about how the various technologies work, it was more difficult to work out which was appropriate for our house, and almost impossible to assess the claims that suppliers were making and compare the products they offered.”

YouGen aims to plug that gap. The YouGen information and blog site is now live, and develpers are now building the online community section. It will enable people to add profiles, share their experiences, ask for advice and recommend their supplier. Companies will also be able to promote their products and services with a free profile.

“When they’re looking for a plumber or a builder most people ask a friend or colleague for recommendations,” adds Cathy. “In a market as new as renewable energy, it’s often not possible to do that. With user-generated content, YouGen aims to give people the comfort of word of mouth on the web.”

It’s easy to browse the information and blog at www.yougen.co.uk. The site is constantly being updated and new developments will be added regularly, so users are recommended to register on YouGen, so they are first to hear about new functionality.

Click here or on the image to visit the Seasalt Sale

Purity a fair trade and organic boutique has opened its doors in Farnham, Surrey. Selling women’s, children’s and baby clothes it is the brainchild of Paula Beaumont.

She explains that, ‘After working in the mainstream fashion industry for 20 years I was increasingly frustrated by the lack of emphasis larger retailers put on selling green clothes. We wanted to bring organic and fairtrade fashion to the general public. It would have been easy to have just had a web presence and be a virtual store, but we felt that we would be just selling to the converted. We wanted to make a difference and show the average high street shopper that beautiful ethical clothes do exist and shake off the ‘hippy’ image that many consumers have. It’s amazing how many of our customers don’t realize that the clothing is organic or fair-trade until they reach the till – and we see that as a good thing”.

Purity offer some tips on buying ethical clothes, as there are many companies out their claiming great green credentials. Always check the labels for certification of organic or fair trade status. If you can’t find it – ask! If they can’t produce evidence then it is usually an indication that all is not what is claimed. Many fabrics claim to be “green” – but their credentials aren’t quite as green as you would think. Bamboo fabric, for instance, claims to be a very green product. While it can be grown sustainably, manufactures fail to mention the dangerous chemicals used to transform it into a fabric. These chemicals can cause health problems and neural disorders for workers.

Soya fabric is another product that some of the “eco” designers are turning to. This fabric has very little green credentials and Soya farming is causing the destruction of the Amazon rainforest. So the message we give is, just because a fabric is new and made of something different – it doesn’t make it green. Always check for organic certification. Up and coming trends in green fashion include an increasing amount of designers working with reclaimed materials.

Reusing existing local materials has got to have one of the lowest impacts on planet earth. We have a fantastic range of clothes coming in for the autumn/winter made from reclaimed clothing. One of our designers spends their time scouring the jumble sales for clothes that nobody wants any more only to turn them into new funky fashionable items. Purity can be found at 20 Downing Street, Farnham, Surrey, or on the web at www.puritystyle.com

Solar thermal system to be won!

Good Energy Limited, the UK’s only electricity supplier to source and supply 100% renewable energy, is launching its online store – www.goodenergyshop.co.uk – on Monday September 1st.

To celebrate the launch, Good Energy will give away a state of the art solar thermal installation worth £3,750 in a competition draw. To enter, or to view information on any of their products, visit the shop today.

The new Autumn range is launched at www.organicboutique.co.uk

The range includes gorgeous items made from pure New Zealand organic mountainsilk. Organic mountain silk is made from supersoft and superfine merino fibres which are perfect for transition and winter.

Good Energy today gave a cautious welcome to Defra’s plans to provide concise advice and guidance on green electricity tariffs for UK homes and businesses.

"The lack of any independent analysis of green tariffs has been an obstacle for the green electricity market. Good Energy welcomes Defra’s decision to ask Ofgem to produce guidelines for what an additional Green Electricity tariff should be." Said Juliet Davenport, Good Energy’s Chief Executive.

"However, Good Energy believes that Defra’s best practice voluntary reporting guidelines should be based on a supplier’s total fuel mix, which suppliers are already obliged to report, and not on the grid average as Defra is proposing. This will better reflect whether a supplier is making a serious commitment to reducing carbon or just meeting their current obligation."

Juliet Davenport, continued "We welcome Defra’s decision to add clarity in this area, especially in recognising that not all green tariffs are the same.  However, ranking of additional benefits above and beyond fuel mix is a complex area, especially as most benefits relate to future potential carbon savings, with variable potential of meeting those savings.  We await Defra’s consultation with interest.