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The Green Insurance Directory is your complete guide to finding low cost eco-friendly car, home, breakdown and travel insurance. We are a not-for-profit directory and all the insurers listed have been vetted so that you can be sure of their eco-friendly credentials.
Our directory is free and easy to use, and you do not have to register with us. We also provide information and advice on a range of green issues.
Did you know? The UK insurance industry is the largest in Europe and the third largest in the world, with total net premiums amounting to over £30 billion!
"It takes 8,460 bolts to assemble a car, and one nut to scatter it all over the road." - Author Unknown
"It wasn't the Exxon Valdez captain's driving that caused the Alaskan oil spill. It was yours." - Greenpeace advertisement, New York Times, 25 February 1990
Carbon neutral car insurance allows you to offset your car’s emissions. This is achieved by purchasing carbon credits from a carbon reduction project somewhere in the world. Whilst only part of the solution, it does allow you to play your part in combating climate change [read more]
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How your insurance risk is calculated Did you know that insurers use a number of key factors to work out your insurance quote? Your age, occupation and where you live can affect your premium. |
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How ethical is your insurer? The Financial Services Authority (FSA) helps to ensure that insurance companies treat their customers fairly. It has the power to fine companies that mistreat their customers. |
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Driving tips All cars on the road today contribute to climate change because their engines burn fuel and therefore produce CO2 every time we drive. Yet you can easily reduce these emissions and save money too! By following a few simple tips you can reduce your engine's workload, which means it will burn less fuel. |
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Tip: Save cash and cut emissions by making your car more aerodynamic. Removing a roof-rack when not in use and keeping windows closed will help the car move through the air more easily, reducing fuel consumption.
"Anyone driving slower than you is an idiot, and anyone going faster than you is a maniac." - Author Unknown
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Is green insurance more expensive? The reality is that you can save money by switching to an eco-friendly insurer as well as neutralising your carbon emissions. Find out how green insurers compare! |
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How fuel efficient is your car? If everyone buying a brand new car this year opted for the most fuel efficient model in its class, CO2 emissions from new cars could be reduced by up to 24 per cent (source: Act on CO2). |
Interesting development: San Francisco has adopted building codes requiring all new homes and offices to be wired for electric car chargers, in an attempt to position itself as America's green car capital.
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Looking to buy a green car? Green-Car-Guide.com provides daily news updates as well as road tests of the latest green cars. Visit our green cars section. |
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Did you know? Uninsured drivers are around ten times more likely to drink and drive and three times more likely to be convicted of driving without due care and attention? [read more] |
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“Nature provides a free lunch, but only if we control our appetites.” - William Ruckelshaus, Business Week, 18 June 1990
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Greener living saves money. During a recession it makes sense to live a more eco-friendly lifestyle to save money - turn off that light, don't book that expensive aircraft seat when you could go by rail and switch off the standby on your television set. Small things might seem trivial but they all add up! |
Alliance & Leicester is now part of the Santander Group, the bank for mortgages
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Recycling - most of the goods we use can be recycled in one way or another, and there are many different schemes now available to make it easy for you to recycle and reuse unwanted goods. Remember, you can also earn money for your old mobile phone! |
"The longest journey begins with a single step, not with a turn of the ignition key." - Edward Abbey
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The biggest cause of climate change is the CO2 that is emitted from power stations. One of the quickest and easiest ways of reducing your carbon footprint is to switch to a green electricity provider.
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"We simply must do everything we can in our power to slow down global warming before it is too late. The science is clear. The global warming debate is over." - Arnold Schwarzenegger
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Putting the kettle on? If everyone boiled only the water they needed instead of 'filling' the kettle every time, we could save enough electricity to run practically all the street lighting in the UK! Visit our electrical section for eco-kettles and other money saving devices. |
"Today we're seeing that climate change is about more than a few unseasonably mild winters or hot summers. It's about the chain of natural catastrophes and devastating weather patterns that global warming is beginning to set off around the world.. the frequency and intensity of which are breaking records thousands of years old." - Barack Obama
| Want to save money? Try following these simple steps to make your fuel last longer:
- Drive smoothly. Driving aggressively uses more fuel and causes more pollution. Avoid rapid acceleration and heavy braking.
- Slow down. Driving at higher speeds increases fuel consumption. For example, doing 50mph can use 25% less fuel than 70 mph.
- A car warms up faster when it is moving. Don't sit and wait for the car to warm up - drive off as soon as possible after starting.
- Switch off the engine when idling. Idling engines burn fuel and waste money.
- Use air-conditioning (AC) sparingly. AC is a drain on the car's engine and can increase fuel consumption by up to 20%.
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Please note that The Green Insurance Directory is not authorised to give financial advice or to express an opinion regarding the suitability of financial products. We're here simply to help you find eco-friendly, ethical insurers and help you do your bit for the environment.
Did you know?
What happened to the oil spilt into the Gulf of Mexico? 3rd September 2010
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) about three-quarters of the 4.9 million barrels that entered the Gulf waters has been dealt with. Around one quarter has naturally dissolved or evaporated, whilst another quarter was captured at source or skimmed or burned. A further quarter has now been dispersed, either naturally or chemically - leaving the remaining quarter that, in NOAA's words... "...is either on or just below the surface as light sheen and weathered tar balls, has washed ashore or been collected from the shore, or is buried in sand and sediments."
Plastic debris in the ocean 25th August 2010
A study has measured the amount of plastic debris found in a region of the Atlantic Ocean over a 22-year period. US researchers, writing in Science, suggest the volume of plastic appeared to have peaked in recent years perhaps due to tighter marine pollution rules that prevent vessels dumping their waste at sea.
The team found plastic, most pieces measuring no more than a few millimetres, in more than 60% of 6,136 samples collected by dragging fine-meshed nets along the ocean's surface.
The researchers - from the US-based Sea Education Association (Sea), Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and the University of Hawaii - described plastic as a "major contaminant".
HSBC Insurance 16th August 2010
HSBC Insurance has switched all of its marketing material in the UK, including direct mail, to FSC certified virgin/recycled paper, affecting the 4000 tonnes of paper destined for customers' letterboxes. Over the next few years, as more FSC certified paper grades become available, this policy will be extended to all of the paper the HSBC Group uses around the world.
China now the largest energy user in the world 21st July 2010
Figures from the International Energy Agency (IEA) indicate that China's energy demand has doubled in the last decade. China’s surging economic growth means that it has now overtaken the US to become the world’s top energy user.
Whilst China has challenged the IEA findings, it sets a precedent since the US has been the biggest consumer of energy for more than 100 years.
The surge in demand for energy in China was further fuelled by its rising population.
Fortis buys Kwik-Fit Insurance, owner of the Green Insurance Company 2nd July 2010
We reported in February 2010 that Kwik-Fit was selling its business. Well, it’s now been sold to Fortis UK for £215m.
The deal gives Fortis a combined retail customer base of 1.6 million, making it the 4th largest personal lines intermediary distributor in the UK.
This is important for the green and eco-friendly insurance market since Kwik-Fit owns the Green Insurance Company, one of the flagship eco-friendly insurance companies offering to offset 100% of a driver’s annual emissions.
It is unclear at this stage what will happen to the Green Insurance Company, and its promise of offering to offset a driver’s carbon emissions. Last year we reported that I Buy Eco had abandoned its commitment to offset drivers' carbon emissions and were instead offering a £5 charity donation.
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