Reference prices & carbon factors
Every worked example on this platform uses the same reference prices so results agree across courses. Real tariffs vary by site and contract; substitute your own marginal prices for a live business case. Carbon factors change every year, so always check the current GOV.UK set before reporting.
Last reviewed July 2026. Figures are indicative working values for first-pass estimates; confirm anything compliance- or design-critical against the cited source.
Platform reference prices
Chosen as round, realistic UK commercial figures. Lessons state explicitly when they vary them.
| Energy | Reference price | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Electricity | £0.20/kWh | All electrical savings examples |
| Natural gas | £0.06/kWh | All heating and steam examples |
| Delivered heat (85% boiler) | ≈ £0.071/kWh | Gas ÷ boiler efficiency |
| Steam at 7 bar g | ≈ £48/tonne fuel cost | See the saturated steam page |
| Compressed air | ≈ £22 per 1,000 m³ | At 0.11 kWh/m³ specific energy |
UK greenhouse-gas conversion factors
Indicative values from the UK government company-reporting factors (2024 set, checked July 2026). The electricity factor falls each year as the grid decarbonises; use the current published set for any formal reporting.
| Energy | kg CO₂e per kWh | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Grid electricity (location-based) | ≈ 0.207 | Falls year on year |
| Natural gas (gross CV) | ≈ 0.183 | Stable |
| Gas heat via 85% boiler | ≈ 0.215 per kWh heat | Factor ÷ efficiency |
| Heat pump heat at SCOP 3.5 | ≈ 0.059 per kWh heat | Electricity factor ÷ SCOP |
Two derived figures worth knowing
Both follow directly from the tables above and recur throughout the courses.
| Figure | Value | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Electricity-to-gas price ratio | ≈ 3.3 : 1 | A heat pump needs SCOP above ~2.8 to beat a gas boiler on running cost |
| Heat pump carbon saving vs boiler | ≈ 70%+ today | 0.059 vs 0.215 kg/kWh of heat, widening as the grid cleans |