Live UK grid — carbon intensity and generation mix
The carbon footprint of the electricity flowing into your premises right now, in grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour, refreshed every five minutes from the National Grid ESO open feed.
The grid you're powered by, right now.
Carbon intensity in grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour, refreshed every five minutes from the National Grid Electricity System Operator open feed. Useful for ESOS scope-2 reporting, SECR carbon factors and shift-load decisions.
Source: carbonintensity.org.uk (National Grid ESO). Updated 30-min slots; refresh interval 5 min on this page.
Why this number matters
Every kilowatt-hour your business uses carries a carbon factor — and that factor changes every half hour depending on what mix of wind, gas, nuclear, hydro, biomass and imports is on the bars. The number on the left of this page is the live actual figure being settled by the National Grid Electricity System Operator.
For ESOS Phase 4 returns, the relevant carbon factor for grid-imported electricity is the published BEIS / DESNZ annual conversion factor, not the live figure. But the live number is the right signal for time-shifting flexible load: charging EVs, running batch processes, pre-cooling, pre-heating.
For SECR (Streamlined Energy & Carbon Reporting) obligations, the same applies — the annual report uses official conversion factors, but the live signal helps justify operational decisions that reduce the average emission factor across your reporting period.
How to use it
- Pick the green hours. If you have flexible load — battery storage, EV chargers, manufacturing batches — schedule for the periods showing "very low" or "low" intensity (typically overnight in winter wind, midday in summer solar).
- Sense-check supplier "100% renewable" claims. When the live mix shows 50%+ gas, your supplier is paying for matched-period certificates rather than physically delivering renewable electrons.
- Inform DSR participation. If you're considering Demand Side Response or capacity market participation, the load-curtailment value is highest at red-bar (high-intensity) periods.
- Brief the board. Drop the live link into a board pack — it makes "we run on renewables" claims testable rather than aspirational.
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