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Version information
Version 4
The current version of the calculator (Version 4) dates from January 2019 with changes to incorporate the latest emission factors and other information.The main changes from Version 3 to Version 4 were as follows.
1. Electricity:
The CO2 emission factor was changed to 0.309 kge / kWh from 0.527 kg / kWh.CO2 emissions have fallen because of the switch from coal to gas in UK electricity generation. (Jan 2019)
An option for accommodation in a student hall of residence was added, with a value of 2000kWh electricity use per person per year (Feb 2020).
2. Gas:
An option for accommodation in a student hall of residence was added, with a value of 5000kWh gas use per person per year (Feb 2020).3. Typical car fuel use figures
Figures were updated from the DEFRA car emissions factors used in Version 3,from
| Size | Engine size (litres) | mpg | gCO2 per mile* |
|---|---|---|---|
| small car | < 1.5 | 37 | 390 |
| medium car | 1.5 - 2.0 | 33 | 430 |
| large car | > 2.0 | 24 | 600 |
to
measured values taken from the Which magazine:
| Size | Average mpg | gCO2 per mile* |
|---|---|---|
| Small, medium, large, city and estate cars | 52 | 280 |
| MPVs and small & medium SUVs | 46 | 310 |
| Sports cars and large SUVs | 35 | 410 |
(Jan 2020)
Version 3
Version 3 of the calculator was published in March 2008. It is still available at https://www.carbonindependent.org/index_v3.html to enable a like-for-like comparison with previous carbon footprint estimates made using Version 3.The main changes in Version 3 from Version 2 were:
- electricity: the CO2 emission factor was changed to 0.527 kg / kWh (from 0.43 kg / kWh) to allow for grid losses
- the reduction for renewable sources of electricity was changed from a 90% reduction to a 25% reduction and restricted to certain tariffs
- natural gas: the CO2 factor was changed from 0.19 kg / kWh to 0.203 (to allow for supply inefficiencies)
- CO2 from heating oil was added
- the factor for cars was changed from 10.5 to 14.3 kg CO2 per gallon (to allow for oil extraction, refinery inefficiency, and motor vehicle manufacture)
- the basic total for food was increased from 1.4 to 2.2 tonnes CO2 equ. per person, to incorporate information on methane and nitrous oxide emissions in sources [10] and [12].
The factors unchanged were:
- the CO2 emission factor for bus travel of 100 g / mile
- the CO2 emission factor for rail travel of 100 g / mile
- the CO2 emission factor for air travel of 250 kg CO2 equivalent per hour flying
Updates were made in December 2013 to include coal, wood, bottled gas, and newer "green" electricity tariffs.
Cosmetic changes were made in February 2015, together with a change from .htm to .html filetype, but there were no changes to the underlying calculations.
Version 2
Version 2 was first published in August 2007 - and was superseded in March 2008.Version 1
Version 1 was first published in February 2007 - and was superseded in August 2007.First published: 2008
Last updated: 18 Sep 2023