UK Power Grid

How clean is the power where you are

Electricity is cleaner in some parts of Britain than others, depending on what is generating nearby. The gap between the cleanest and dirtiest regions is usually far wider than most people expect.

Enter the first part of your postcode only - for example SW1A or M1.

Cleanest region

North Scotland

0 gCO₂/kWh

Mostly wind

Dirtiest region

South Wales

379 gCO₂/kWh

96% from gas

Gap across Britain

379gCO₂/kWh

Between the cleanest and dirtiest region

Every region, cleanest first

Forecast carbon intensity for the current half hour, by distribution region.

View as table
Region gCO₂/kWh Band Low carbon Largest source
North Scotland 0 Very low 100% Wind (100%)
South Scotland 0 Very low 100% Wind (84%)
Scotland 0 Very low 100% Wind (85%)
North East England 9 Very low 61% Wind (42%)
North West England 30 Low 83% Wind (57%)
North Wales & Merseyside 38 Low 87% Wind (72%)
Yorkshire 70 Low 50% Wind (45%)
East England 106 Moderate 63% Wind (34%)
England 135 Moderate 50% Wind (36%)
West Midlands 142 Moderate 59% Wind (43%)
London 156 Moderate 41% Gas (36%)
East Midlands 176 High 37% Gas (38%)
South East England 182 High 20% Gas (41%)
South England 201 High 34% Gas (48%)
Wales 286 Very high 27% Gas (73%)
South West England 338 Very high 14% Gas (86%)
South Wales 379 Very high 4% Gas (96%)
What this means

Electricity all mixes together on the same network, so no one literally receives power from a single wind farm. What these figures describe is the mix generated and imported within each region, which is the fairest way to attribute emissions to the electricity used there.

Regions with a lot of wind or nuclear nearby - most of Scotland, the north of England - sit far lower than areas that lean on gas. The figures are a forecast for the half hour in progress, and they move throughout the day as the weather and demand change.

Updated at 08:49. This page keeps itself current.