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.
Cleanest region
North Scotland
0 gCO₂/kWh
Mostly wind
Dirtiest region
South Wales
388 gCO₂/kWh
99% from gas
Gap across Britain
388gCO₂/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 (51%) |
| Scotland | 0 | Very low | 100% | Wind (56%) |
| North East England | 2 | Very low | 38% | Imports (62%) |
| North West England | 38 | Low | 74% | Nuclear (45%) |
| North Wales & Merseyside | 139 | Moderate | 61% | Wind (36%) |
| Yorkshire | 183 | High | 10% | Biomass (52%) |
| East England | 191 | High | 40% | Gas (45%) |
| England | 201 | High | 28% | Gas (47%) |
| West Midlands | 217 | High | 37% | Gas (54%) |
| South East England | 227 | High | 8% | Gas (52%) |
| London | 232 | Very high | 20% | Gas (55%) |
| East Midlands | 283 | Very high | 6% | Gas (64%) |
| South England | 302 | Very high | 8% | Gas (73%) |
| Wales | 340 | Very high | 14% | Gas (86%) |
| South West England | 384 | Very high | 3% | Gas (97%) |
| South Wales | 388 | Very high | 2% | Gas (99%) |
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 01:47. This page keeps itself current.