plusnet

How ethical and sustainable is plusnet? 

plusnet is included in The Good Shopping Guide‘s Broadband Providers Ethical Ratings Table. The broadband provider has yet to meet our ethical standards, but we believe that in the future, the brand will make the necessary changes to function as a more ethical organisation.

More information on why ethics should be considered before you switch Broadband providers may be found in The Good Shopping Guide to Ethical Broadband Providers.

Then, in our Broadband Providers Ethical Ratings Table compare it to other suppliers.

What does plusnet do?

plusnet is a broadband provider that has been operating since 1997 with an aim to offer good quality mobile deals. The brand won Most Reliable Broadband Provider in the 2022 Choose Broadband Awards. plusnet has been owned by the BT Group since 2007.

For which criteria does plusnet perform poorly? 

plusnet received a low rating for ethical record criticisms. The brand also receives a middle rating for its Environmental Report, Human Rights issues and Armaments involvement. The Human Rights concerns are related to over 40,000 BT and Openreach workers striking as the company did not raise pay in line with current living costs; you can read more on this story here.

BT also operated with BT Defence and has a section on its website detailing its military offers.

Past Criticisms of plusnet’s ethical record

plusnet faced criticism in regards to its parent company BT, which has been accused in the past of being unsympathetic to those trying to deal with the loss of a loved one relating to their accounts with the company.

BT was also under fire after claims of the brand overcharging customers for their landline telephone services resulting in almost 2.5 million BT customers possibly being entitled for £500 compensation.

In what areas does plusnet score well for its ethics?

plusnet receives a high score for its Nuclear efforts as the brand ceased Nuclear Power processing in 2003 and Nuclear Fuel reprocessing in 2022.

plusnet also received a high rating for Fossil Fuels and Animal Welfare.

How can plusnet improve its Ethical Rating?

The Ethical Rating of a brand is divided into three categories by The Good Shopping Guide: the Environment, People and Animals.

The broadband provider may improve its rating and fulfil our fundamental ethical requirements by producing Environmental Reports with more ambitious goals and ceasing all military offerings.

Why not check out The Good Shopping Guide’s Ethical Accreditation if you work for or with a TV or Broadband company that places ethics and sustainability high on its priority list, or wants to improve its current CSR and ESG initiatives? Contact us to learn more about Ethical Accreditation, or complete our short form for an initial brand sustainability evaluation.