Bristol Energy takes the alternative approach

What is Bristol Energy?
Bristol Energy is a supplier founded by Bristol Council in 2015. It describes itself as 'a force for social good' and looks to deliver energy on a not for profit basis. The company focuses on using renewable energy to bring lower prices to consumers than the Big Six.


Bristol Energy has hit the headlines this week due to an alternative take on environmentally producing energy in the UK.

The new scheme aims to use actual human bodily waste to create a substance known as biomethane. This is a gas that is a clean alternative to fossil fuels, and therefore more environmentally friendly.

Working in collaboration with GENeco, the organisation will turn poo from the local residents into energy. Furthermore, any profits from the alternative service will be reinvested into the community.

The science behind it works as follows:

• GENeco turns the waste into a sludgy substance
• The sludge goes through anaerobic digestion
• This process creates a biogas
• Biogas is then cleaned and transformed
• The new substance is the same composition as natural gas (98% methane)

This innovative project will also look to use waste food products in a similar way. Want to find out more about how the project works? Click here to watch the video and find out more.

Interested to find out if a scheme like this can save money on your business energy bills? Contact Energy Advice Line today by calling 0800 915 1800 to get a free, no obligation quote and see how much you could save.

UK's coal free day

Statistics from the National Grid show that last week was officially the UK's first ever working day without relying on power from coal since the industrial revolution.

 The UK has relied on coal for power since it began using the fossil fuel and the only remaining plant (West Burton 1) went offline on Thursday 21 April 2017. Nation Grid tweeted the above graphic, highlighting the first period of coal free power since 1880.

This isn't the first time England has been powered coal-free, as during 2016 shorter periods were also successful - the largest of note being 19 hours. Coal's share of the market also dropped to 9%, down from 23% in 2015.

The government and energy industry have been working on making the country coal free as alternative methods of production develop - coal-free days will become more common as these options become more and more viable.

Coal was the main method of powering the UK until the early 1990s, and 2025 will see the forced closure of the last coal power station, as per existing government plans to move away from being reliant on fossil fuels and meet the UK's commitment to renewable energy.

Mainland Europe still hold the best record for using renewable power alone, last May Germany and Portugal had fossil fuel free periods.

Energy prices will continue to fluctuate as we move away from fossil fuels, and the only way to make sure that you are always getting the best price is to keep on top of the market. Not all tariffs have a penalty for switching mid-contract so if a better price comes up it pays to change. The Energy Advice Line handles the switching process for you, making it quick and simple. Find out more at energyadviceline.org.uk

Image courtesy of National Grid Twitter.

What Happened at the Weekend?

Most of the energy news this weekend came from all over the globe, so find out below what's been going on.




Saturday, 11th July

• Estuary Energy submits plan for huge offshore wind turbines off Grain visible from Sheerness and Queenborough 
• Digging into the lobbying efforts of natural gas partner Noble Energy 
• Energy superpower Iran discovers oil shales 

Sunday, 12th July

• Thursday, Denmark produced 140% of its energy needs from wind 
• Russia says to support Greece recovery by deepening energy cooperation
• Mexico’s Big Energy Breakthrough 

Don't forget that if you have any questions regarding your energy supply, or energy in general then feel free to get in touch:

• Visit energyadviceline.org.uk and see how much you could save
•  Find us on Twitter, Facebook and Google+ 
• Call us on 0800 915 1800 (Mon - Fri, 9am - 5:30pm)

What Happened at the Weekend?

Saturday's energy news placed great emphasis on renewable energy strategies from across the world, but with the General Election fast approaching we can be sure that this is going to come under further scrutiny in the weeks to come. Sunday looked more to how we can improve our energy usage within our own homes and businesses - after all, the easiest way to start saving money is by changing a few habits around the house.

Saturday, 28th March

• World's biggest wave energy park could be built off Cornwall coast
• Texas city opts for 100% renewable energy – to save cash, not the planet 
• No one is talking about our utterly mad energy policy 

Sunday, 29th March

• Ukip’s energy spokesman 'an idiot' after urging people to turn all their lights on for Earth Hour 
• Home that pays the bills: The innovative Future Proof Home with zero-energy bills
• Healthy Energy Habits For The Isle Of Wight NHS

Don't forget that if you have any questions regarding your energy supply, or energy in general then feel free to get in touch:

• Visit energyadviceline.org.uk and chat with an advisor
• Find us on Twitter, Facebook and Google+ 
• Call us on 0800 915 1800 (Mon - Fri, 9am - 5:30pm)

What Happened at the Weekend?

It's hard to look past this morning's big news for domestic energy consumers - potentially spending £200 more than they need to due to a lack of switching - but there are other stories floating around from the weekend. A lot of stories about renewable and green energy projects, as well as how the falling rate of inflation will affect the energy and oil prices in the UK.

Saturday 14th February

•  Inflation to hit record low as prices of energy and groceries tumble
• Total criticises 'uncertain’ energy policy
• Watchdog turns up heat on Big Six energy firms who face accusations of manipulating the market and making excessive profits

Sunday 15th February

• Cornish villagers fear devastation over quarry for green energy scheme
• Letters: Pursuit of renewable targets will leave energy in short supply
• Energy row in Cornish village which David Cameron named daughter after

Don't forget that if you have any questions regarding your energy supply, or energy in general then feel free to get in touch;

• Visit energyadviceline.org.uk and chat with an advisor
• Find us on Twitter, Facebook and Google+
• Call us on 0800 915 1800 (Mon - Fri, 9am - 5:30pm)

What Happened at the Weekend?

The news this weekend tended to just focus around the latest price drops from four of the Big Six suppliers and whether or not these are a good thing for the business and domestic energy customers. A majority of the news from across the pond was centralised around the falling oil prices, spending cuts and moving towards creating a greater focus on energy efficiency.

Here's two highlights from the weekend, a bit of criticism about the price cuts, and an interesting piece revolving around the idea of helping to solve the planet's energy crisis.

Saturday, 24^th January

• Critics hit out as 4th energy firm lowers tariffs

Sunday, 25^th January

• Could a man-made star solve Earth's energy crisis?

Don't forget that if you have any questions regarding your energy supply, or energy in general then feel free to get in touch;

• Visit energyadviceline.org.uk and chat with an advisor
• Find us on Twitter, Facebook and Google+
• Call us on 0800 915 1800 (Mon - Fri, 9am - 5:30pm)

What happened at the weekend?

Welcome to the first of our weekend round-ups for energy news!

With the New Year under our belts, and the expense of Christmas still reeling, what better time is there to take a good, hard look at your finances. The trend of 'listicles' (articles in the form of lists) is as strong as ever with all kinds of guidance on how you can save money, and the one consistent point between them all is to check whether or not you are paying the most competitive prices - and a quick quote over at Energy Advice Line will help you to figure that out in seconds.

For this week we've found some articles away from this traditional 'New Year, New You' style, to see what else has been happening over the weekend. There's been a lot of focus on how our energy use and everyday life is affecting the climate, tales of customer service woes, the promises in the general election build up, and more focus on the falling oil prices.