UK National Grid

Carbon Content of the UK Grid:

688 gCO₂/kWh

Last updated at 21:30
This figure takes into account source supply and average transmission losses

CO₂ Content:	Grid Utilisation:
EXTREMELY HIGH	BELOW AVERAGE

Should I plug in my electric car?

NO!

The carbon footprint for electricity production is high. Please wait until the carbon footprint has dropped before plugging in your electric car: 78% of the electricity supply is currently being generated from fossil fuels.

Demand for electricity is now falling. The carbon footprint is likely to drop significantly soon. If you can, please wait a little longer before plugging in your electric car.

Why are our carbon figures higher than other carbon footprint calculators elsewhere on the web?
Our carbon calculator not only takes into account the generation of the electricity at the power station, but also the carbon footprint for extracting and transporting the raw materials to the power stations and the generation losses between the power stations and the consumer.

The figures also take into account the construction of the power station and the decomissioning at the end of its life.

For this reason, our carbon figures are typically 70-80g/kWh higher than most other calculators on the web.

Where our power is coming from:

Power Source:	Megawatts:	Percent:
Closed Cycle Gas Turbine	11,548 MW	26.4%
Open Cycle Gas Turbine	-	-
Oil	-	-
Coal	21,914 MW	50.2%
Nuclear	7,969 MW	18.2%
Wind Turbines	474 MW	1.1%
Hydro Pump Storage	288 MW	0.7%
Hydro	474 MW	1.1%
Other	45	0.1%
Import from France	-	-
Import from Ireland	-	-
Import from The Netherlands	969 MW	2.2%
Total	43,681 MW	100.0%

How eco-friendly is an electric car?

Based on the carbon footprint right now, this is how an electric car compares to a conventional car:

REVA L-ion	63 g/km
Mitsubishi iMiEV	69 g/km
REVA i	76 g/km
MINI e	84 g/km
Nissan LEAF	106 g/km

Toyota Prius	107 (89)g/km*
Fiat 500 TwinAir	114 (95)g/km*
Ford Fiesta ECOtec	118 (98)g/km*
VW Polo Bluemtn	119 (99)g/km*
Honda Insight	122 (101)g/km*
MINI Cooper D	125 (104)g/km*
Fiat Panda ECO	143 (119)g/km*
BMW 116i	172 (143)g/km*
Ford Focus 1.6i	189 (157)g/km*
Average new car in the UK	196 (163)g/km*
Dodge Journey	252 (209)g/km*

*The figures in brackets show the 'Tank-to-wheel' figures for fuel used in a conventional car. These are the figures published by the motor manufacturers to show the carbon impact of driving their vehicles. The main figures show 'well-to-wheel' figures (including oil extraction, refining and transportation), giving a more accurate comparison to the full 'well to wheel' figures for an electric car.