United Kingdom emission factors: grid, losses and fuels.
DESNZ 2026 · UK electricity generation 0.13096 kg CO2e/kWh
Grid electricity
Our carbon reports multiply a company's purchased kWh by this factor for location-based Scope 2.
Network losses are reported separately, in Scope 3 Category 3: DESNZ 2026 · UK T&D factor 0.01299 kg/kWh.
Fuels
Fuel burned in vehicles and equipment the company owns or controls is Scope 1. When a ledger gives fuel spend and we hold a published local price for that fuel and month, the engine turns the spend into litres or kWh at that price and applies the factor below (see supported countries). Fuel spend without a local price is priced at a US reference price, and fuel quantities entered directly in litres or kWh use the EPA Hub factors.
| Fuel | Factor | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 2.075 kg CO2e per litre | DESNZ 2026 kg CO2e/L |
| Diesel | 2.5835 kg CO2e per litre | DESNZ 2026 kg CO2e/L |
| Heating oil | 2.7781 kg CO2e per litre | EPA Hub 2025, per litre |
| Natural gas | 0.1823 kg CO2e per kWh | DESNZ 2026 kg CO2e/kWh |
Scope 3 purchases
Defra / University of Leeds spend-based emission multipliers, by SIC product group (Open Government Licence v3.0).
Frequently asked questions
What is the grid electricity emission factor for the United Kingdom?
0.13096 kg CO2e per kWh, from DESNZ 2026 · UK electricity generation 0.13096 kg CO2e/kWh. Our carbon reports multiply a company's purchased kWh by it for location-based Scope 2.
Are transmission and distribution losses included?
They are reported separately, in Scope 3 Category 3, using DESNZ 2026 · UK T&D factor 0.01299 kg/kWh.
Which emission factor is used for diesel spend in the United Kingdom?
2.5835 kg per litre, from DESNZ 2026 kg CO2e/L.
Which factors are used for Scope 3 purchases in the United Kingdom?
Defra / University of Leeds spend-based emission multipliers, by SIC product group (Open Government Licence v3.0).
Factor pack v2.6.17. All countries · Refrigerants · Methodology
These factors, applied to your ledger.
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