UK National Grid

Carbon Content of the UK Grid:

617 gCO₂/kWh

Last updated at 7:25
This figure takes into account source supply and average transmission losses

CO₂ Content:	Grid Utilisation:
BELOW AVERAGE	VERY LOW

Should I plug in my electric car?

Perhaps

Demand for electricity is at acceptable levels and the carbon footprint is below average. However, 75% of the electricity supply is currently being generated from fossil fuels.

Both demand for electricity and the carbon footprint for electricity produced will increase over the next few hours - so if you need to charge up your electric car in the next few hours, do it now. Consider a SHORT CHARGE if this is feasible.

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	10,804 MW	30.4%
Open Cycle Gas Turbine	-	-
Oil	-	-
Coal	14,180 MW	39.9%
Nuclear	5,518 MW	15.5%
Wind Turbines	1,050 MW	3.0%
Hydro Pump Storage	549 MW	1.5%
Hydro	202 MW	0.6%
Other	721 MW	2.0%
Import from France	1,488 MW	4.2%
Import from Ireland	-	-
Import from The Netherlands	999 MW	2.8%
Total	35,511 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	56 g/km
Mitsubishi iMiEV	62 g/km
REVA i	69 g/km
MINI e	75 g/km
Nissan LEAF	95 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.