Carbon Content of the UK Grid:

637 gCO2/kWh


Last updated at 18:00
This figure takes into account source supply and average transmission losses

CO2 Content:
Grid Utilisation:
BELOW AVERAGE
EXTREMELY
HIGH

Should I plug in my electric car?


 NO! 

This is a peak time for electricity usage. There is HIGH DEMAND for electricity across the nation at this time. 79% of the electricity supply is generated from fossil fuels.

Please do not plug your electric car in to charge up just yet.

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 21,793 MW 37.0%
Open Cycle Gas Turbine 132 MW 0.2%
Oil - -
Coal 24,240 MW 41.1%
Nuclear 8,121 MW 13.8%
Wind Turbines 1,610 MW 2.7%
Hydro Pump Storage 1,710 MW 2.9%
Hydro 857 MW 1.5%
Other 510 MW 0.9%
Import from France - -
Import from Ireland - -
Import from The Netherlands - -
Total 58,973 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
58 g/km
Mitsubishi iMiEV
64 g/km
REVA i
71 g/km
MINI e
78 g/km
Nissan LEAF
98 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*