Difference between renewable energy and eco-labeled electricity
- Origin labeling or “green electricity” comes from a certain energy source, such as wind power, but it does not set any environmental requirements.
- Bra Miljöval is the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation’s own eco-label. The electricity that is eco-labeled comes from renewable energy but also sets strict environmental requirements and provides a sum of money for each kilowatt hour sold to various projects to repair environmental damage and reduce electricity use through energy efficiency.
- The eco-energy label is an international label for renewable resources with minimal environmental impact. For every megawatt hour (MWh) spent, € 0.10 is donated to a climate fund that fights energy poverty in developing countries.
- If the electricity is eco-labeled, for example, hydropower plants must not drain the watercourses completely and wind turbines must take the environment and wildlife into account.
Which electricity contract should I choose?
- First of all, find out where your electricity comes from. It should be on your invoice – if not, contact your electricity company.
- Choose electricity from renewable energy sources. If you want a mixture or a production-specific electricity, i.e. wind, water, solar, etc., you can choose it in your electricity trading agreement.
- Make sure your electricity is eco-labeled.
Energy efficiency at home
- Depending on your type of home, different adaptations can be made, see here (in Swedish).
- Lower the indoor temperature one degree and the energy use will decrease by five percent.
- Look over sealing strips around windows and doors.
- If you live in an old house, you may need additional insulation. Today, all houses can be built or renovated so that they generate more energy than they use in one year.
- Make sure that no furniture stands in front of the elements and blocks the heat.
Choice of lamp
- A LED lamp draws less energy than both ordinary light bulbs and low energy lamps. It can use up to 10 times less electricity than a light bulb.
- Make sure you can adjust the brightness yourself – the less light the less energy consumption. The lamp can use up to 80% less electricity if you choose to turn it down.
- Buy a lamp with lower brightness – saves both electricity and money.
- No extra electricity is used when you turn a lamp on and off, so make sure you always turn off the lights when you leave a room.
- Always return used low energy lamps to the recycling center as they contain mercury. This also applies to all other types of lamps.
Electrical products
- Unplug all chargers, for example for mobile phones, when not in use.
- Turn off the camera during virtual video meetings, this reduces energy consumption by 96%.
- Switch from ultra HD / 4K to standard resolution when streaming movies and reduce energy consumption by 86%.
- Set the correct temperature in the fridge and freezer, +4 degrees Celsius in the fridge and -18 degrees Celsius in the freezer. Then you get both good food storage and low energy use.
- Use a kettle to boil water. It goes fast and you save energy.
- Washing in a dishwasher saves energy compared to washing by hand.
If you are going to buy a new TV, refrigerator, washing machine, heat pump or something else that requires energy. Look at the energy label (in Swedish), it helps you make energy-smart choices.
Page updated 2021.
