As world leaders have just agreed and signed the Glasgow Climate Pact at the COP26 summit, one aspect to tackling the climate crisis has stuck out – we need to rethink energy. The Glasgow Climate Pact is the first-ever climate deal to explicitly plan to reduce coal, the worst fossil fuel for greenhouse gases. As the world slowly starts to become more climate-conscious, more and more people are beginning to realise that different approaches to energy need to be enacted. As Europe enters into winter and temperatures start to drop, most of us are accustomed to turning up the thermostat so there’s no better time to start making more conscious decisions surrounding our energy consumption and habits. At the same time, Europe has been experiencing what’s been described as an energy crisis as prices have soared over recent months and supply has struggled to keep up with demand. Across the continent, from the Nordics to South Europe, people have seen prices of their energy increase as Europe has grappled with a supply-chain problem. European startups in sustainable green technology are paving the way to make more environmentally conscious decisions with regard to energy. Different solutions and innovations are coming up that make it easier for consumers to be more energy-conscious. We spoke to the team at Tibber to take a look at how we can improve our energy consumption habits, especially coming into winter, in this background of energy crisis. Tibber was one of our 10 promising Sweden-based startups to watch back in 2020. Since launching in 2016, Tibber has been on a mission in Sweden, Norway and Germany to help consumers lower their energy bills and make electricity consumption smarter. The Tibber App allows users to have real-time visibility into their energy consumption, real-time updates on pricing, and the ability to regulate heating use. So far, the young company has helped almost 200,000 customers to lower their electricity consumption – and their energy bills – every month. As part of the mission to make energy consumption more transparent, the Tibber app provides users with a graph forecasting the cheapest hours per day, namely those with a high percentage of green energy. Through features such as ‘smart charging’, users can relay their consumption pattern to these hours, that way they save money whilst simultaneously contributing to a more sustainable energy grid. In addition, consumer education is playing an important role in the company’s approach, with the goal to give the broader public more awareness and understanding of how the fossil fuel industry is driving high prices and causing instability. Eventually, the only financially and ecologically sustainable solution for a lower market price is an energy grid powered by 100% renewables. Agreeing with the Energy Transition Council of COP26, Tibber believes that energy efficiency will be a significant contributor to reducing carbon emissions by up to 40%. Tibber empowers consumers to take action within the energy transition, and lead with the argument that “the greenest electricity is the one not consumed at all”. Tibber’s priority is to empower people to consume energy smartly, with an understanding of the energy challenges our environment is facing. Via the app, the company is helping to improve energy efficiency using technical solutions to reduce global energy consumption. The app makes energy a tangible product for users and incentivises people to question their energy usage. Tibber’s top energy-consumption tip is to start small and then grow big. Start small: change to eco-friendly light bulbs and smart power sockets, use thermostats. Lowering your heating by just one degree can affect emissions. Grow big: look into electric cars, add renewable energy sources into your property, what about a solar panel? In general, the advice is clear. Switching to a digital and green energy provider, that is committed to helping solve the energy and environmental crises is the best thing you can do. Keeping a close eye on your energy consumption can help you make small changes that have a big impact.
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