Green Energy are a good choice if you want to be more environmentally friendly.

If you're one of the growing number of conscientious people who feels it is more important to go with a green energy plan then you may know that comparing just how green some energy plans really are can be quite challenging.

It can be difficult to know which suppliers to trust, what kind of green energy you're getting and just how much good you're doing for the environment.

However, it's now possible to check how 'green' your energy plan is , with the help of the independent Green Energy Certification Scheme (GECS).

To help you make an informed choice of green energy plan, the Green Energy Certification Scheme gives a green energy plan a stamp of approval if it meets certain standards, so you can be confident in your choice of green plan.

The Green Energy Certification Scheme independently checks that the electricity you use comes from a renewable source and that the energy supplier is going above and beyond the existing regulatory obligations to deliver additional environmental benefits as part of the plan.

Green energy plans approved by the GECS

Supplier and tariff name	Tariff name	Renewable %*	Renewables matching**	Additional info
	Future Energy Plus	6.6%	Yes	The electricity you use will be offset through the government's Quality Assurance Scheme. Contributions will be made to the Energy For Tomorrow fund, which invests in community projects to reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions.
	Future Energy	6.6%	Yes	Free Standby Saver Contributions will be made to the Energy For Tomorrow fund, which invests in community projects to reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions.
	Go Green	0.3%	Yes	E.ON will purchase 1.8 tonnes of good quality carbon offsets for every 12 months you are on the plan.
	Green Tariff	6.9%	Yes	EDF's Green Fund helps to support renewable energy projects for non-profit organisations across the UK.
	100% Green and Gold	100%	Yes	Good Energy will purchase 1 tonne Gold Standard Certified Emission Reduction (CER) Offset per customer, every year.
	Good Energy	100%	Yes	Good Energy tariff will invest in renewable heat generation projects that benefit local communities. The income from these schemes will be entrusted to an independent body to invest in further projects, creating ongoing carbon savings.
	juice	5%	Yes	npower makes an annual contribution of £10 into the Juice Fund for every Juice customer. The Juice Fund supports innovation, research and development in the marine and tidal renewables sector and invests in community-based small- and micro- renewable generation projects.
	National Trust Green Energy	5%	Yes	For every customer npower will make a contribution of £30 to the National Trust Green Fund, with an additional £10 paid per annum thereafter. This fund is used at National Trust properties in Great Britain to invest in low- and zero-carbon initiatives delivered through micro- and small- scale renewable projects.
	Simply Green	6.9%	Yes	Contributes funds towards small-scale environmental and educational renewable energy projects within communities across the UK.
	Betterplan plus	9.7%	Yes	Betterplan is an energy reduction programme, which encourages and advises customers to help them reduce their energy usage and also rewards them for doing so.

* The percentage of overall fuel mix from renewable energy sources. ** Does the plan promise to match your usage with 100% renewable energy?

Information from http://www.greenenergyscheme.org/index.php?page=suppliers/index Last updated 8.9.2010

When you do a comparison with uSwitch, these green energy plans will feature in your results table alongside the dual fuel plans, or you can see just green electricity tariffs, so you can find the cheapest green energy plan for you.