3 Reasons Why You Should Switch to a Clean Natural Gas Plan

Fossil fuels are the energy of the past. With new, developing technologies like solar, wind and biofuel available, we can power today and tomorrow with clean, renewable and more reliable energy that doesn't harm our health or contribute to climate change.

When it comes to natural gas, proponents like to portray that it's a cuddlier cousin to oil and coal because it generates less carbon dioxide when burned¹. But natural gas is still a fossil fuel – period. And it accounts for about a third of U.S. energy use², making it a significant contributor to climate change, which we know is an urgent global problem ³.

However, today we still rely on natural gas to heat our homes and cook our food. Which leaves us wondering how we keep doing so without harming the planet?

Enter our solution: Inspire’s Clean Natural Gas plan, a promising way to offset the carbon emissions associated with your everyday home heating and cooking needs.

Let's take a look at why making the switch to the Clean Natural Gas plan from Inspire is a great way to positively impact the fight against climate change and neutralize your home's natural gas carbon emissions, shall we?

1. Our Clean Natural Gas plan is carbon neutral

Achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by the second half of this century is crucial for the long-term health of our planet.

While natural gas emits about 50% less CO₂ than oil or coal ⁴, we still need to consider all carbon emissions across the entire life cycle of natural gas, particularly during extraction, production, transmission and distribution (including consumer usage).

Inspire supports carbon offset projects, like reforestation, based on your home's natural gas consumption. Carbon offsets reduce or neutralize emissions in one place to "offset" the emissions taking place somewhere else. This can come from reducing greenhouse gas emissions, increasing storage of carbon or enhancing greenhouse gas removals from the atmosphere.

To put some perspective on it, on average, one year of offsetting carbon emissions associated with your natural gas usage with Inspire can prevent 7,716 pounds of CO₂ from entering the atmosphere.

Wondering how offsetting works with Inspire? Here's the breakdown:

• We calculate your home’s carbon emissions associated with your natural gas consumption.
• We identify verified offset projects around the globe that meet the highest standards, such as Verified Carbon Standard.
• We undertake a voluntary third-party audit annually to ensure offsets are real, additional, accurate, and verifiable.

###2. Carbon offset projects Switching to Inspire’s Clean Natural Gas plan means you'll be supporting nature-based carbon offset projects around the globe, like reforestation and avoiding deforestation. Why? Because nature has a remarkable capacity to heal itself. Simply put, the more trees, the less carbon dioxide in the air. And we guarantee that quality carbon offset projects are offsetting the carbon emissions associated with the natural gas you are using in your home. Right now, our Clean Natural Gas plans are currently supporting these two projects through our partner, Pachama:

Project Type: Avoided Deforestation Standard: Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) Location: Columbia Environment/Social Benefits: Protects and restores 83K+ of rainforests on the Pacific Coast of Columbia by providing an alternative source of income (outside of logging) and benefiting marginalized and vulnerable populations in the community. Land owned by two Afro-descendant communities.

Project Type: Avoided Deforestation Standard: Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) Location: Peru Environment/Social Benefits: Avoids greenhouse gas emissions associated with forest logging by creating new sources of economic opportunity based on an intact, biodiverse forest. In addition to preserving critical habitats for endangered wildlife, this project also provides opportunities for increases in local household income, agroforestry training workshops for the community, and increased community engagement around sustainable forestry practices.

###3. It's easy as can be We realize all this climate and energy talk can be pretty confusing, especially when making the switch. Where do you start? Who do you call?

Inspire's Clean Natural Gas plan offers peace of mind with a predictable price. In addition to that, there are no sign-up or cancellation fees and no installations or service interruptions when choosing Inspire as your natural gas supplier. We'll generate a customized price for your natural gas supply based on factors, including your home's energy consumption patterns.

Once you're a member, you'll rest easy knowing that carbon emissions from your home's natural gas consumption are being neutralized, and you're doing something positive for the planet.

When you switch to Inspire's Clean Natural Gas plan, your gas will continue to be delivered to you by your local utility company. Inspire will replace your current natural gas supplier, and once you start service, you will see “Inspire” listed as your natural gas supplier on your utility bill. We will begin to purchase offsets on your behalf to neutralize the carbon emissions associated with your home's natural gas consumption.

Currently, we offer our Clean Natural Gas plan for eligible residential and small business customers in Ohio, with more locations coming soon.

It's never been easier to reduce your net carbon emissions and make an impact on the planet. To learn more about offsetting your natural gas consumption, visit Inspire’s Clean Natural Gas plan page or contact Inspire’s friendly Member Experience team at (866) 403-2620.

And, as always, if you're looking for renewable options for your home's electricity supply needs, we also offer access to clean, renewable energy for one flat monthly price. Start now – the earth will thank you.

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1. ucsusa.org/resources/environmental-impacts-natural-gas#references↩
2. eia.gov/totalenergy/data/browser/index.php?tbl=T01.03#/?f=A&start=200001↩
3. ipcc.ch/sr15/↩
4. ucsusa.org/resources/environmental-impacts-natural-gas#references↩