Renewable energy could be long-term solution to utilities woes

While recent drops in the wholesale cost of a barrel of oil have prompted the UK's largest energy suppliers to hint at forthcoming utilities cuts, it is still clear that homeowners need to be taking action to guard against any further turbulence in the markets, which is highly likely to come.

Over the short-term, easily the best means of cutting back on gas and electricity overheads is to shop around for the best deal and switch utilities provider accordingly.

Savvy consumers willing to give up the comfort that comes from sticking with the same company for years at a time can benefit from considerable savings, particularly now that the winter is truly setting in.

Likewise, installing efficient insulation and ensuring electrical appliances are switched off and unplugged when not on are also foolproof ways of not only reducing utilities charges but also helping to cut back on harmful carbon emissions.

Looking to the long-term, however, and the solution for both peoples' wallets and for Mother Nature may well lie with small-scale renewable energy technology, particularly wind turbines or solar panels for individual homes or businesses.

According to a recent report from the Committee on Climate Change, in spite of the inconsistency of wind and sun levels in the UK, it should still be possible to make such sources a major source of power over the next few years, with current estimates suggesting that the country could obtain as much as 30 per cent of its power from them by 2020.

As such, British Eco Energy has urged homeowners to look into the benefits offered by green energy initiatives, with wind power in particular seen as the ideal solution to the energy needs of UK homeowners.

"It's a good fit, but we need to look at the planning permission laws and help people to put them up more quickly or more easily, the organisation's managing director Andrew Moore explained.

"A lot of people are interested in wind turbines but it's still only a small proportion of people that actually go out and do something."

Furthermore, having a wind turbine in the back garden or solar panels on the roof could even boost the price of a property when it is put on the market, he added.

Despite all these benefits, however, renewable energy for the home is still very much under-appreciated in the UK, with even estate agents believed to be ignorant of the advantages.

As with switching energy suppliers, therefore, it may well be the case that consumers will have to take the initiative themselves rather than wait for the government or homebuilders to act.