The latest full month is October 2026: an average of 115 gCO₂/kWh, with 65.6% of electricity from low-carbon sources. Across whole years, the grid's average fell 28% between 2020 and 2025.
Average carbon intensity, each month
Year by year
| Year | gCO₂/kWh | Low-carbon | Wind | Solar | Gas |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan–Oct 2026 | 122 | 61.4% | 32.4% | 7.9% | 24.6% |
| 2025 | 129 | 59.2% | 32.0% | 6.3% | 28.3% |
| 2024 | 125 | 60.1% | 31.0% | 4.7% | 26.6% |
| 2023 | 152 | 56.0% | 30.0% | 4.2% | 32.4% |
| 2022 | 183 | 54.2% | 27.3% | 3.8% | 39.4% |
| 2021 | 188 | 50.0% | 21.4% | 3.6% | 38.4% |
| 2020 | 180 | 55.0% | 22.3% | 4.3% | 36.0% |
| Feb–Dec 2019 | 207 | 50.9% | 18.1% | 4.1% | 39.9% |
Averages over every half hour recorded in the year. Part years are labelled with the months they cover.
Every month
| Month | gCO₂/kWh | Low-carbon | Wind | Solar | Gas |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 2026provisional | 115 | 65.6% | 36.8% | 4.3% | 22.7% |
| September 2026 | 109 | 68.4% | 38.0% | 7.1% | 21.2% |
| August 2026 | 125 | 59.7% | 23.7% | 10.9% | 23.6% |
| July 2026 | 122 | 57.1% | 23.9% | 13.7% | 23.0% |
| June 2026 | 132 | 56.1% | 27.9% | 11.2% | 26.8% |
| May 2026 | 122 | 56.8% | 25.1% | 11.5% | 23.1% |
| April 2026 | 94 | 69.1% | 33.4% | 10.3% | 17.7% |
| March 2026 | 117 | 62.4% | 37.5% | 6.0% | 24.6% |
| February 2026 | 137 | 60.4% | 39.4% | 2.2% | 30.4% |
| January 2026 | 145 | 58.4% | 38.9% | 1.5% | 33.3% |
| December 2025 | 120 | 61.9% | 41.7% | 1.4% | 26.3% |
| November 2025 | 127 | 62.9% | 40.5% | 2.1% | 28.7% |
| October 2025 | 138 | 58.2% | 37.2% | 3.2% | 30.9% |
| September 2025 | 112 | 64.6% | 38.6% | 7.1% | 23.9% |
| August 2025 | 124 | 58.5% | 27.7% | 9.8% | 25.6% |
| July 2025 | 129 | 56.4% | 20.7% | 10.2% | 27.3% |
| June 2025 | 99 | 69.0% | 34.2% | 10.6% | 19.8% |
| May 2025 | 107 | 63.5% | 28.4% | 10.9% | 21.8% |
| April 2025 | 133 | 57.1% | 24.6% | 9.8% | 28.2% |
| March 2025 | 146 | 52.7% | 28.7% | 6.3% | 32.8% |
| February 2025 | 148 | 57.2% | 34.4% | 2.2% | 33.6% |
| January 2025 | 168 | 48.8% | 27.7% | 1.4% | 40.9% |
| December 2024 | 128 | 61.4% | 40.5% | 0.8% | 29.4% |
| November 2024 | 171 | 50.6% | 27.4% | 1.3% | 38.0% |
| October 2024 | 138 | 59.3% | 32.4% | 3.2% | 29.2% |
| September 2024 | 122 | 60.7% | 27.5% | 4.9% | 26.2% |
| August 2024 | 84 | 70.0% | 33.4% | 7.5% | 17.5% |
| July 2024 | 115 | 58.1% | 22.6% | 8.2% | 25.4% |
| June 2024 | 100 | 62.4% | 26.3% | 9.5% | 20.6% |
| May 2024 | 124 | 56.0% | 20.3% | 7.8% | 27.1% |
| April 2024 | 93 | 69.3% | 37.0% | 5.8% | 17.6% |
| March 2024 | 128 | 58.5% | 34.2% | 3.8% | 25.1% |
| February 2024 | 134 | 59.7% | 36.0% | 1.9% | 27.2% |
| January 2024 | 167 | 55.0% | 35.2% | 1.3% | 35.3% |
| December 2023 | 123 | 66.4% | 42.6% | 0.7% | 25.4% |
| November 2023 | 161 | 55.9% | 32.6% | 1.6% | 30.9% |
| October 2023 | 139 | 62.4% | 35.5% | 3.0% | 27.4% |
| September 2023 | 158 | 55.3% | 25.6% | 5.1% | 34.3% |
| August 2023 | 161 | 52.3% | 25.1% | 6.0% | 36.2% |
| July 2023 | 143 | 59.0% | 30.5% | 6.3% | 31.3% |
| June 2023 | 167 | 50.5% | 20.6% | 8.5% | 38.1% |
| May 2023 | 148 | 48.7% | 20.8% | 7.8% | 35.2% |
| April 2023 | 161 | 52.8% | 25.4% | 5.4% | 35.7% |
| March 2023 | 158 | 53.0% | 30.5% | 2.8% | 34.1% |
| February 2023 | 166 | 53.8% | 32.5% | 2.1% | 32.6% |
| January 2023 | 144 | 61.8% | 38.7% | 1.2% | 27.4% |
| December 2022 | 179 | 55.9% | 31.6% | 0.9% | 34.7% |
| November 2022 | 169 | 57.0% | 35.0% | 1.2% | 37.7% |
| October 2022 | 156 | 60.5% | 37.5% | 2.9% | 36.1% |
| September 2022 | 210 | 51.7% | 25.2% | 3.9% | 44.0% |
| August 2022 | 221 | 45.7% | 16.1% | 6.2% | 49.7% |
| July 2022 | 210 | 49.3% | 19.7% | 6.3% | 45.0% |
| June 2022 | 183 | 54.4% | 22.3% | 6.5% | 42.7% |
| May 2022 | 183 | 53.7% | 25.0% | 5.6% | 44.5% |
| April 2022 | 181 | 53.9% | 24.1% | 5.3% | 40.3% |
| March 2022 | 186 | 52.4% | 23.6% | 3.9% | 36.1% |
| February 2022 | 127 | 67.0% | 41.9% | 1.9% | 20.8% |
| January 2022 | 185 | 50.6% | 26.4% | 1.1% | 39.4% |
| December 2021 | 192 | 53.0% | 26.8% | 0.5% | 36.6% |
| November 2021 | 184 | 55.0% | 27.9% | 1.2% | 35.9% |
| October 2021 | 150 | 59.7% | 33.0% | 2.2% | 31.0% |
| September 2021 | 205 | 46.2% | 18.4% | 3.9% | 41.8% |
| August 2021 | 182 | 47.6% | 19.4% | 4.7% | 35.9% |
| July 2021 | 208 | 42.3% | 12.1% | 6.0% | 40.7% |
| June 2021 | 171 | 50.8% | 16.6% | 6.2% | 36.0% |
| May 2021 | 178 | 48.2% | 18.8% | 5.4% | 40.2% |
| April 2021 | 200 | 45.7% | 14.7% | 6.2% | 46.0% |
| March 2021 | 185 | 51.5% | 22.1% | 3.5% | 39.9% |
| February 2021 | 179 | 54.3% | 27.6% | 2.1% | 35.1% |
| January 2021 | 219 | 46.2% | 20.0% | 0.9% | 41.8% |
| December 2020 | 185 | 53.2% | 22.7% | 0.8% | 37.6% |
| November 2020 | 177 | 54.1% | 22.9% | 1.4% | 36.7% |
| October 2020 | 160 | 56.6% | 24.7% | 2.1% | 35.9% |
| September 2020 | 195 | 50.9% | 21.8% | 4.9% | 43.4% |
| August 2020 | 202 | 47.5% | 18.3% | 5.4% | 44.2% |
| July 2020 | 185 | 54.9% | 17.9% | 6.3% | 40.7% |
| June 2020 | 172 | 54.5% | 19.0% | 6.9% | 37.9% |
| May 2020 | 142 | 59.8% | 17.6% | 9.1% | 29.2% |
| April 2020 | 168 | 57.2% | 19.2% | 7.4% | 32.3% |
| March 2020 | 189 | 54.5% | 25.9% | 4.3% | 34.6% |
| February 2020 | 176 | 60.3% | 31.6% | 1.9% | 27.3% |
| January 2020 | 209 | 56.9% | 26.3% | 1.0% | 31.4% |
| December 2019 | 203 | 55.6% | 23.9% | 0.9% | 33.1% |
| November 2019 | 240 | 47.1% | 17.3% | 1.1% | 41.4% |
| October 2019 | 202 | 53.0% | 21.4% | 2.2% | 39.7% |
| September 2019 | 178 | 57.5% | 20.8% | 4.7% | 35.1% |
| August 2019 | 182 | 56.7% | 20.3% | 6.0% | 35.0% |
| July 2019 | 222 | 46.3% | 13.5% | 6.1% | 45.3% |
| June 2019 | 216 | 47.5% | 16.4% | 5.9% | 44.5% |
| May 2019 | 210 | 48.3% | 12.2% | 6.3% | 43.1% |
| April 2019 | 212 | 50.5% | 17.1% | 5.4% | 41.7% |
| March 2019 | 197 | 51.6% | 21.8% | 3.5% | 37.5% |
| February 2019 | 216 | 45.1% | 14.4% | 2.7% | 42.8% |
How the reports are made
Every half hour GridMonkey records NESO's carbon intensity and generation mix for Great Britain: the actual figure where NESO has published one, otherwise its forecast. Each month's report adds those up by UK calendar day and for the month, with the month's records. Percentages are shares of the electricity generated, imports included. Low-carbon means wind, solar, nuclear, biomass and hydro. Northern Ireland has its own grid and isn't included.
The colours are GridMonkey's carbon bands: very low under 70 g, low 70–139 g, moderate 140–219 g, high 220–299 g and very high 300 g or more, per kWh. For individual wind farms, see the wind farm league table; for the cleanest time to use electricity today, GridMonkey's forecast.
Data: NESO Carbon Intensity API (carbonintensity.org.uk), licensed under CC BY 4.0, recorded and summarised by GridMonkey.