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Nottingham has been revealed as having the highest uptake of green energy tariffs in the UK, with almost half of households being supplied by a low-carbon deal, according to a new poll.
An Opinium survey of 2,000 customers carried out on behalf of Uswitch.com found on average a third of all UK households (33 per cent) currently have a green tariff and with a 46 per cent take up Nottingham emerges as a clear frontrunner.
Elsewhere, Norwich (44 per cent) and London (39 per cent) also reported a higher rate of customers on green tariffs compared to a fifth (20 per cent) in Southampton and just 15 per cent in Belfast.
| City | Per cent of households signed up to green tariff |
| Nottingham | 46% |
| Norwich | 44% |
| London | 39% |
| Leeds | 37% |
| Brighton | 36% |
| Bristol | 32% |
| Sheffield | 31% |
| Liverpool | 29% |
| Cardiff | 29% |
| Edinburgh | 29% |
| Newcastle | 29% |
| Plymouth | 27% |
| Manchester | 25% |
| Glasgow | 24% |
| Birmingham | 24% |
| Southampton | 20% |
| Belfast | 15% |
| UK average | 33% |
The survey also asked customers about how much extra they would be willing to pay for a “truly green” energy tariff sourced 100 per cent from renewable generation.
While a quarter (24 per cent) of Glasgow residents said they were on a green tariff, the city came out on top in terms of the amount people are prepared to spend, with customers willing to spend an extra £60 a year on their energy bills — £14.40 more than the UK average of £45.60.
In contrast, residents of Newcastle and Manchester would be willing to pay just £31 extra per year.
| City | Amount households would be willing to pay a year |
| Glasgow | £60 |
| Liverpool | £54 |
| Bristol | £51 |
| London | £51 |
| Plymouth | £50 |
| Sheffield | £46 |
| Nottingham | £45 |
| Southampton | £43 |
| Norwich | £42 |
| Birmingham | £40 |
| Cardiff | £40 |
| Edinburgh | £39 |
| Belfast | £38 |
| Leeds | £38 |
| Brighton | £34 |
| Manchester | £31 |
| Newcastle | £31 |
| UK average | £45 |
Uswitch recently launched a scheme which independently verifies and accredits green tariffs as a way to recognise “standout examples of best practice” from suppliers.
The accreditation scheme categorises tariffs into ‘bronze’, ‘silver’ and ‘gold’ — splitting them up depending on the level of renewable energy suppliers directly buy and the level of investment they are making to support the growth of renewable energy.
Responding to the survey results Will Owen, energy expert at Uswitch.com, said: “It’s obvious that households in the UK want to do their bit for the environment – a third have already taken out a green energy deal, with Nottingham leading the way.”
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