People have become more and more environmentally conscious, no matter whether they do anything about it or not. How has this been achieved and what are the best choices for you if you decide to go green?

What do ISPs do to achieve carbon neutral broadband?

• They ensure that their offices are operating with renewable energy (usually solar)

• They use materials that are as environmentally friendly as possible

• They work with charities or other organisations towards preserving the environment and erasing our carbon footprint

• Their employees use public transport to go to work

Which are the best choices for you if you decide to go green?

When it comes to choosing a green broadband service, customers are usually interested both in being environmentally friendly and in receiving a high-quality service at a reasonable price. Here are some of the better options to choose from, depending on your specific needs:

Green ISP

This broadband provider is the first one in the UK to take serious steps towards making its services 'green'. It has achieved carbon neutral offices, which are entirely powered by renewable solar energy.

For every customer who signs up for their broadband services, Green ISP plants a tree in their name in partnership with the organisation Treesponsibility. Its goal is to "meet the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs".

In conjunction with being carbon-free, this provider offers home and business broadband services with speeds of up to 24Mb from respectively £16.99 and £24.99 per month.

Sky Digital

This is probably one of the most popular choices and for once, being one of the largest internet providers doesn't mean it has to be bad for the environment.

Since 2007, Sky has been completely carbon neutral and it uses 100% renewable energy across its offices in England, Scotland and Wales. They might not offer the personal touch like Green ISP does, but their broadband deals come with unlimited internet usage.

ECOminutes

ECOminutes is a relatively new player in the scene, owned by TalkTalk and working in partnership with Opal. A representative said:

"Customers receive a free energy efficient wireless broadband router which uses just eight watts of electricity, helping customers to keep energy usage down, especially as most people leave routers on 24/7."

This distinctive feature of the provider is meant to lower down electricity usage of the user without affecting connection performance.

Furthermore, ECOminutes has promised that for each customer who has signs up for its services, it will compensate for the equivalent of up to a tonne of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere.

In terms of its services, this provider offers broadband and home phone packages, with up to 24Mbps speeds and internet udage allowance of 100GB.

What to choose then?

It all depends on your internet needs, your budget and whether you'd prefer a provider, which will give you a more personalised touch for its services.

In any case, you can rest assured that you'll be making the green choice.