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CO2 Emissions From Electricity Calculator

Work out co2 emissions from electricity instantly with clear inputs, formula shown and shareable results.

About CO2 Emissions From Electricity Calculator

Electricity emissions are consumption times grid carbon intensity. 3500 kWh at 210 g/kWh is 735 kg of CO2, equivalent to burning 318 litres of petrol. Intensity varies enormously - under 50 g/kWh in Norway and France, around 200 in the UK and over 700 in coal-dependent grids - so the same appliance has very different footprints by country.

Formulas

Electricity emissions

CO2(kg) = kWh x intensity(g/kWh) / 1000

Comparison

1 litre of petrol emits 2.31 kg CO2

Worked example

With the default values below, CO2 Emissions From Electricity Calculator returns Carbon Dioxide Emitted of 735.0. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.

Inputs used

Electricity consumedminimum 0 kWh
3,500 kWh
Grid carbon intensityminimum 0 g CO2/kWh
210 g CO2/kWh

Results

Carbon Dioxide Emitted
735.0 kg
Same Emissions In Tonnes
0.7350
Average Per Day
2.012 kg
Equivalent Litres Of Petrol
318.2

Step by step

  1. 1Values used
  2. 2Electricity emissions
  3. 3Comparison
  4. 4Carbon Dioxide Emitted= 735.0 kg
  5. 5Same Emissions In Tonnes= 0.7350
  6. 6Average Per Day= 2.012 kg
  7. 7Equivalent Litres Of Petrol= 318.2

Assumptions and limits

  • The result is derived only from the 2 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
  • In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax, fees or charges or compounding frequency into account.
  • Figures are rounded for display to 4 decimal places, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.

How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where do I find my grid's intensity?

National grid operators publish it, often in real time. Averages range from under 50 to over 800 g/kWh.

Does time of day matter?

Considerably. Intensity swings by a factor of two or three within a day as wind, solar and gas plant come and go.

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