Can your household bills actually do good in the world?

Do you recycle, take your own bag to the shops, eat less meat, walk to work, do your bit to fight climate change, and help the environment?

Yes? Good! It sounds like you are one of the good guys. But did you know you can also do good in the world with your home, and your choice of household bills?

Let us explain all.

Gone are the days where every company is a faceless megacorp who wants to extract as much money out of you as possible, for the worst possible service – they still exist of course, but in recent years we’ve seen the rise of companies with a conscience, those who exist to improve the world and the communities we live in, and not just exist to generate a profit. You’ll know some of these brands; Ben & Jerrys, Sipsmith gin and Patagonia for instance. 

Most of these businesses are ‘B Corps’ – a certification that confirms they put people and the planet on the same level as profit, plus greater public transparency and legal accountability.

So, let’s get down to business…

As a good, responsible person, by using these companies you can have a positive impact on the world too! Instead of giving your hard-earned money to mega-corporations, you could choose B Corps, and help support their mission and causes – all unique to themselves, and help build a better world.

Better yet, when you take maximising profit out of the equation, and combine that with incredible empathy for people and the world, you get truly unbelievable customer service – it’s a win/win.

Here’s what you can do with just your household bills to start doing good in the world:

1. Change your energy supplier

Your gas and electric bills probably first come to mind when you think about your household bills. Switching from non-renewable energy like coal, oil, and gas, to renewable energy, like wind and solar, can have a huge impact in the fight against climate change.

But don’t just switch to a green energy plan with your current provider – are they really helping to change the world if they are still burning fossil fuels?

Switch to a purely renewable energy supplier, and one who isn’t just providing energy, but really driving change and fighting climate change too.

Here are great reviews of Octopus Energy and Bulb to learn more, the two suppliers leading the way.

Find out how to switch your energy providers with Emma HERE.

2. Switch your broadband provider

Yep! Even broadband can be a force for good. An industry typically dominated by big profiteering corporations, who hike the price up after your cheap deal ends hoping you’ll forget or won’t switch.

Well, there’s a new kid on the block, one who’s donating 1% of each bill to help get the internet to places where it’s needed most, such as refugee camps, natural disaster sites, and even communities in the UK.

‘Who are they?’ I can hear you screaming, well, Cuckoo Broadband! And here’s a review of Cuckoo Broadband to learn more.

Interested in switching your broadband provider? Switch in minutes using the Emma app.

3. Choose an ethical mortgage broker

If you’re buying a home soon, or have a mortgage already and due to switch to a cheaper new deal when your fixed rate ends, you now have the option to choose a mortgage broker who is a certified B Corp – that’s pretty crazy for a financial services firm; an industry notorious for fleecing people for as much as possible.

But they do exist. Like, mortgage broker Habito. Their cause is to drive down carbon emissions in your home – a massive 19% of the nation’s carbon emissions come from people’s homes, which can be reduced by improving the energy performance with things such as proper insulation and low energy lighting. They can even help you with green mortgages too.

4. Switch your pension plan

Did you know you could be funding planet-destroying activities with your pension? Like burning fossil fuels, mining, destroying rainforests, and even just unethical companies like tobacco firms, or ones who don’t care for animal welfare.

You can make a conscious decision to move to an ethical investment plan, sometimes called socially responsible.

Find out where your pension is if you don’t know already, and check out their plans! It’s normally super easy to switch plans online, or with a quick phone call.

Or, you could even move your pension to a new provider, such as Pensionbee, who have a pension plan for environmental, social & governance (ESG) investing.

4. Lease your phone

Lease your phone? That sounds crazy. But think about it, how many phones have you got lying around your home or thrown out?

It’s pretty bad for the environment, in fact, millions per year end up in landfills.

With Raylo, you could lease your phone instead. You choose a set period of time, normally 2 years, and when the time is up, you simply hand it back and swap it for a new one! They’ll then refurbish the old phone and find it a nice new home, or recycle it. Better still it works out cheaper per month.

Ready to put your bills to work for good?

Let’s stop funding big corporations with our hard-earned money! Destroying the world for maximum profit has had its day, let’s give the new responsible businesses a chance to grow and build a greener, healthier, more sustainable, and simply more beautiful and fun world. 

Get started by taking a look at your outgoings with Emma and see where your household bills are going and who you are funding. You might even find some subscriptions you had forgotten all about and funding some bad businesses. Let’s take a stand and build a responsible future and make the right choices with our finances.