Electricity Emissions Calculator
Calculate the CO₂ emissions from electricity use based on your regional grid emission factor.
How it works
- 1Enter the amount of electricity consumed in kilowatt-hours (kWh).
- 2Select the grid region that matches your electricity supplier — each region carries a different average emission factor (kg CO₂ per kWh).
- 3The calculator multiplies kWh by the emission factor to give total CO₂ in kilograms and tonnes, plus the number of trees needed to offset it over a year.
Use cases
- Assess the carbon footprint of a household’s monthly electricity bill.
- Compare the environmental impact of different grid regions when choosing a data-centre location.
- Estimate how many trees a business needs to plant to offset its office electricity use.
Frequently asked questions
How is electricity CO₂ calculated?
Emissions (kg) = kWh consumed × grid emission factor (kg CO₂/kWh). For example, 1 000 kWh on the world-average grid (0.45 kg/kWh) produces 450 kg of CO₂.
Why do emission factors vary by region?
The factor reflects the generation mix on that grid. Coal-heavy grids such as India exceed 0.7 kg/kWh; renewable-rich or nuclear grids drop close to 0.02 kg/kWh because those sources emit little or no CO₂ during generation.
How many trees are needed to offset my emissions?
A mature tree sequesters roughly 21 kg of CO₂ per year. The calculator divides your total CO₂ by 21 to give the number of trees required for a full year of offsetting. To offset 450 kg you would need approximately 21–22 trees.
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