Are you planning to minimize the environmental impact by shifting to a green hosting provider?
I can very well understand your concerns and have assembled a list of the best green hosts here. If you are looking for reliable green hosting in the UK, this article is tailor-made just for you!
The most ideal choice for green hosting in the UK, in my opinion, is Krystal. It is a 100% green host that utilizes renewable sources, including wind, sun, and sea to generate electricity for running its hosting.
Along with using green energy for its hosting operations as part of its business, Krystal also takes many efforts to improve the condition of the environment beyond its business footprint.
To know more about Krystal and other reliable green hosting recommendations in the UK, explore the list in the next section.
7 Best Green Hosting in the UK
You will find many green hosting providers in the UK but this list consists of the best seven of them. Let’s explore:
1. Krystal (Best Overall)
Founded in 2002, Krystal has over 19 years of experience in the hosting world. It is powered by 100% renewable electricity to minimize the environmental impact of its existence.
Krystal does not aim to achieve only carbon neutrality of its energy usage but the host also works actively to improve the environment otherwise.
Data Centers
Krystal is a 100% UK-based host, registered in England and Wales, and has a .uk domain. It has its UK data center in London.
The company uses Ecotricity to power its data center which is a green electricity company based in England.
- The company has committed to protect or plant 1 billion trees by 2030 out of which it has already crossed the count of 1.3 million trees so far.
- You will also receive UK-based customer support from Krystal via live chat and ticketing system.
- Krystal has achieved a Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) rating of 1.12 against the average PUE of 1.59.
- The host offers a free Krystal green hosting badge for your website to help you differentiate yourself from your non-green competitors.
- Krystal encourages its employees to contribute to the environment and has got them enrolled with Ecologi, a climate organization in the UK.
- Though the host offers UK-based support, it is not available 24/7.
- No data centers outside of the UK.
- Support can be slow to respond sometimes.
- Their free site migration service lacks efficiency.
Pricing
The prices of Krystal hosting plans start at just £4.99 per month when you sign up for a monthly plan. The 3-year term can provide you with free hosting for 6 months!
Know more about Krystal’s green policy here.
2. Eco Web Hosting
The expert team of Eco Web Hosting has an average experience of over 7 years in the hosting industry.
The host uses energy-efficient servers and plants trees across the globe to reduce its carbon footprint.
Data Centers
Eco Web Hosting is an entirely UK-based host with its office in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire. The company has a .co.uk website. Its main data center is located in London, UK.
It has another data center in Derby in Derbyshire. The company utilizes energy-efficient servers and its data center uses green energy suppliers.
- The company plants one or more trees monthly for every hosting plan you purchase.
- The host offers UK-based support via live chat and ticket to solve all your queries.
- Eco Web Hosting works with several tree-planting organizations and sponsors Gold standard projects.
- The host also offers to fund your green-focused project especially if it is based in the UK.
- The staff of Eco Web Hosting works remotely to further save energy.
- You can only reach Eco Web Hosting customer support 5 days a week, during business hours.
- Some Eco Web Hosting customers complain about the speed of their servers and control panel.
- Data centers are only available in the UK.
- No cloud or dedicated hosting is available.
- Limited customer support hours.
Pricing
The hosting plans start at just £3.49 per month and a 1-year term can bring in a little discount plus a free domain.
Know more about Eco Web Hosting’s green policy here.
3. GURU
GURU has experience of over two decades in the hosting world.
It is a completely UK-based host with its office in Hertfordshire and a .co.uk domain extension.
Data Centers
GURU has its UK data center in Centro, Hemel Hempstead, that uses 100% renewable energy and holds ISO 14001 accreditation for Environment Management Systems.
It also achieves the Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) rating of 1.2 which is above the industry average.
- GURU offers a 24/7 UK-based helpdesk. You can also contact them via email, live chat, and phone.
- The host ensures to repurpose its used equipment and recycle its reusable parts with the help of ISO-certified partners.
- The company uses natural lighting, LEDs, eco-friendly packaging, and Electric Vehicles.
- GURU uses servers and other appliances that hold an A+ rating for being energy efficient.
- The renewal prices of GURU’s hosting packages increase substantially as soon as the initial period ends.
- They charge extra for basic addons.
- Poor technical knowledge by their technical support.
Pricing
Many hosting packages of GURU have a promotional price of £1 per month available only for the initial term of 1 month.
The lowest package renews at £4.99 per month after the initial term.
Know more about GURU’s green policy here.
4. Eco Hosting
Eco Hosting is a fully UK-based web hosting provider registered in England and Wales with its registered office in Mannamead, Plymouth, and a .co.uk domain extension.
Established in 1999, the company has gained experience of over 22 years in the hosting industry.
Data Centers
The data centers of Eco Hosting are powered by 100% renewable energy from Ecotricity. Its UK data center is located in Yorkshire and utilizes two energy-saving technologies simultaneously, namely, free cooling chillers and cold aisle containment.
- Eco Hosting is supporting the plantation of trees in the Alladale Reserve.
- The host offers 24/7/365 UK-based support via live chat and ticket.
- The company does every effort to offset its carbon footprint originating both from its data centers and offices.
- The host supports the Challenger’s Trust that allows many young people to explore nature and encourages them to plant trees.
- Eco Hosting supports several reforestation schemes in the UK and other eco-projects in England, Scotland, and Wales.
- Eco Hosting offers 24/7 support only to its existing customers and not to the new queries from the people planning to purchase a new plan.
- Poor server uptime.
- Data center's location is available only in the UK.
Pricing
The prices of the hosting packages from Eco Hosting begin from £2.50 per month with a substantial discount on a 1-year plan.
To know more about Eco Hosting’s green policy, check this page out.
5. Kinsta
Founded in 2013, Kinsta has experience of over 8 years in the hosting industry. It offers fully-managed WordPress hosting via the cloud.
Data Centers
Kinsta uses Google Cloud Platform and has 28 data centers around the globe. Its UK data center is located in London.
- Kinsta utilizes the Google Cloud Platform since Google data centers are energy-efficient and consume about 50% less energy.
- The host uses Cloudflare CDN since Cloudflare focuses on reducing the negative impact on the environment. Cloudflare is aiming to purchase carbon credits that will offset the past 11 years’ emissions.
- Kinsta makes every effort to reduce your website’s environmental impact by improving its overall performance.
- The host has most of its team working remotely.
- Kinsta does not have UK-based support. You will find a US phone number on its official website for getting your queries resolved.
- Their prices are more expensive than most competitors.
- The host has blacklisted multiple WordPress plugins.
- No email hosting.
Pricing
The pricing of Kinsta’s hosting plans starts at $30 per month which is about £23 per month. You can get 2 months of free hosting with a yearly plan.
To know more about Kinsta’s green policy, you can have a look at this page.
6. SiteGround
Established in 2004, SiteGround has experience of over 17 years in the web hosting industry. It offers a wide range of hosting services to serve the needs of all sizes of businesses.
Data Centers
SiteGround has multiple offices and data centers all over the world. Its UK data center is located in London.
- SiteGround uses Google Cloud Platform because of Google’s commitment to carbon neutrality. Google also generates renewable energy to match 100% of the power used by these data centers globally.
- The host also optimizes its resources efficiently, both, to increase the performance of your website and consume less energy overall.
- SiteGround has also constructed a sustainable headquarters building and has a green building certification for the same.
- The company provides its employees e-cars and e-bikes for business operations along with free charging stations. Along with benefiting the environment directly, this move also encourages the employees to use electric vehicles in their households.
- SiteGround does not allow the use of plastic water bottles in its office.
- It utilizes eco-friendly packaging for corporate gifting.
- SiteGround has very high renewal rates with the renewal prices about 3 times higher than the initial costs.
- Live Chat support is not easy to find in the account.
- Limited storage in their shared hosting plans.
- The maximum database size is limited to 1GB.
- They don't offer any free migration service.
Pricing
SiteGround offers hosting plans with a starting price of $3.99 per month that translates to about £3 per month. This best price is available with a 1-year initial term.
Know more about SiteGround’s green policy here.
7. Kualo
Kualo has experience of over 20 years in providing hosting services. It is a 100% green-powered host and a fully UK-based company with a .co.uk domain.
Data Centers
The primary data center of Kualo is in Centro, Hemel Hempstead in the United Kingdom. The facility adheres to ISO 14001:2015 Environmental Management System standards.
- Kualo utilizes energy-efficient servers to use minimal power.
- All its operations are powered only by renewable energy.
- The company supports Gold Standard projects via Ecologi.
- Kualo also supports reforestation projects and has planted 43,098 trees so far.
- The host plants trees monthly on behalf of its staff.
- It encourages remote working to further save energy.
- The company offers 24/7 support via the helpdesk.
- The host offers Cloudflare’s ‘Railgun’ plan free of charge to exponentially boost your website speed.
- The renewal charges of Kualo hosting increases considerably from the initial costs.
- Hosting plans are expensive.
- The Payment process can be confusing.
Pricing
The hosting plans from Kualo start at £2.99 per month. You can get free hosting worth a year with a 3-year plan!
Know more about Kualo’s green policy here.
Bonus – HostPresto
Here is a bonus green hosting provider for you!
Established in 2001, HostPresto is a completely UK-based host with over 20 years of experience. The company carries certification from The Green Web Foundation ensuring that it receives electricity from legitimate renewable sources.
Data Centers
HostPresto has its UK data center in Maidenhead, Berkshire. It runs on renewable energy.
- It is a green host using 100% renewable energy.
- HostPresto plants trees via Ecologi and has planted 11,441 trees so far.
- It offers UK-based support.
- The company has reduced its power consumption by up to 50% by increasing its efficiency.
- The host offers subsidized electric vehicles and other similar green perks to its staff members.
- The host does not offer good support as can be seen from the complaints of its existing customers.
- Not the best uptime.
- Expensive compared to its competitors.
Pricing
The hosting plans from HostPresto start at £3 per month. An annual plan will provide you with free hosting for 2 months. Currently, you can try its hosting for just £1.
Know more about HostPresto’s green policy here.
What to do Next?
From our list of best green hosting UK companies above, we can draw these conclusions:
- With UK-based support and data center, and substantial contribution to the environment, Krystal is the best green host overall.
- With a starting plan price of just £2.99 per month and 1-year free hosting with a 3-year plan, Kualo is the cheapest green hosting company in the UK.
- With its UK plus international presence and choice of green partners, Kinsta is the best green host for big and heavy traffic websites requiring large resources. It is also an excellent choice for large businesses and website owners hosting multiple websites.
FAQ
Is DreamHost eco-friendly?
Yes. DreamHost is an eco-friendly host with certified green buildings, energy-efficient lighting, highly-optimized HVAC plants, and data centers obtaining energy from renewable sources.
Is HostGator green?
Yes. HostGator partnered with Integrated Ecosystem Market Services in 2008 to turn into a green host.
Is A2 Hosting green?
Yes. A2 Hosting is a green host and takes initiatives to reduce its carbon footprint by recycling its old servers, using energy-efficient drives, saving electricity, limiting its water and natural gas usage, allowing the staff to work remotely, and planting trees.
What is sustainable hosting?
Sustainable hosting refers to hosting with minimal environmental impact. It utilizes eco-friendly technologies to run the servers and other hosting resources.
