We all know that the process of heating and powering our homes with gas and electricity is damaging to the environment, but what can we do to help? Renewable energies are now available meaning that we have a more environmentally friendly option when it comes to choosing our household energy supplies.

UK gas and electricity companies now have to make sure the at least 4,9 per cent of the power they supply comes from green energy sources. But what are these green energy sources? Right now there are four to choose from.

1. Solar power transforms the energy we receive from the sun into power for our homes, while wind power harnesses wind energy for the same purpose. We already obtain some of our energy from hydroelectricity, which is when we convert energy in flowing water to electricity. And lastly there is biomass fuel, where natural materials are burnt to provide energy for households.

2. We can all help to increase the level of green energy produced by signing up to the green tariff options now available from the majority of energy companies. There are usually two tariffs to choose from, and either one will lead to an increase in green power.

3. There is the Green Power Supply option, which means that for every unit of power that you use, the same amount of green power is generated. You can also choose a Green Fund tariff. This means you pay a little extra for your utility bills, but this extra cash is invested by the utility company into renewable energy projects.

4. Environmentally-friendly energies are attractive to us as they do not produce any damaging waste, unlike the burning of fossil fuels which emits toxic CO2. Using sustainable sources of energy will also help to provide stability as stocks of green energy will never run out, unlike oil, coal and gas. This would mean an end to the energy price rises and crashes we see today.

5. You do not need any fancy equipment or to have anything installed in order to change to a green tariff. It is as easy as swapping to any other gas or electricity rate. Simply call your gas and electricity company to see if they have an environmentally-friendly rate that you can switch to, or use the internet to find a range of energy companies that offer this green energy rates.

Those choosing to go green will likely pay a little more for their gas and electricity. If you cannot afford to switch to a green tariff, then take a look at the energy companies and how the mix of energy sources that they currently use. Some will already use more green sources to provide their power, so you could make the switch to a more eco-friendly company instead.