It’s not just car manufacturers that are feeling the need to think green - now it’s the insurers too, as More Th>n car insurance has launched a new eco friendly motoring scheme.

Known as ‘Green Wheels’, the service helps drivers assess how their driving affects the environment. It gives them access to information such as how they brake and accelerate and the number of short journeys they make. It is hoped that this technology will help drivers make more environmentally friendly choices while behind the wheel - and reduce the carbon footprint of Britain’s 31m cars.

The Green Wheels scheme utilises ‘green box’ technology - a small device that hooks up to the engine management system and effectively reads the way you drive. It then sends information to the More Th>n green box website where drivers can access their personal reports and confidentially read information about their driving style and how to become more economical.

Product director at More Th>n, Dowshan Humzah, commented: “Green Wheels is great news for anyone interested in taking more responsibility for their own carbon ‘tyre-print’.

“Furthermore, by helping motorists drive more efficiently the ‘green box’ can also help cut the cost of motoring which, with fuel prices rising, is top of many motorists’ agendas.”

It’s not the first time a car insurance company has ventured into the green market - indeed there are several car insurance providers that market exclusively to an environmentally conscious clientele by offering carbon offsetting schemes.

There is some debate however, as to whether it would make better environmental sense to shop around for the cheapest car insurance deal and then put the money saved towards an environmental project of your own choice.

Read on for more about green car insurance.