Growing Number of Energy Customers Switching to Renewables

Data from renewable energy provider Pure Planet shows that a growing number of UK energy consumers are making the switch to renewable energy.

According to the data, more than 1.1 million UK-based customers have switched from using a “big six” conventional energy provider. Many of these customers, according to the analysis, are instead opting for renewable energy solutions such as solar.

Renewable energy has grown rapidly over the past decade, both for residential and business electricity customers. As of 2017, green energy providers make up approximately 17% of the total UK energy market.

What was energy consumption like in previous years?

This is an impressive amount, particularly from a growth perspective. In 2011, renewable energy providers made up less than one per cent of total UK energy consumption. The growth of green energy over the last few years has been, to put it lightly, extremely rapid.

At the same time, a growing network of green energy infrastructure has changed the way many of the UK’s top businesses and residential customers receive their electricity. Last month, WWF Scotland stated that wind turbines now supply 99% of Scotland’s residential electricity needs.

However, as renewable energy grows in popularity, both suppliers and consumers face issues that could slow further growth. One of these is dealing with the temporary nature of renewable energy sources; wind, like many others, can come en masse or not at all.

What are energy providers doing to store energy?

In response, governments and green energy providers are taking energy storage technology more seriously. The new Hywind Scotland wind farm includes a series of batteries, allowing a certain percentage of the energy generated through wind to be stored for use at later periods.

On a local level, a growing number of residential and business electricity users are installing their own battery technology, allowing them to “stockpile” energy generated during periods of sunny or windy weather, for example, for use in less optimal conditions.