Heating oil: carbon footprint per litre
Live factor value
2.54 kgCO2e per litre
Source: UK DESNZ greenhouse-gas conversion factors, 2026 (revision 2). Factor set desnz-2026-r2.
Heating oil — 'burning oil' or kerosene in the official tables — heats around a million UK homes off the gas grid. Its emission factor is published per litre in the DESNZ 2026 conversion factors, so a delivery note or tank gauge reading converts directly into kgCO2e.
Per kWh of useful heat, oil is more carbon-intensive than mains gas and far more than a heat pump running on today's grid electricity, which is why oil-heated homes usually have the largest heating footprints in the UK.
Worked example
A typical annual oil-heated home delivery (~1,000 litres): 1,000 × 2.54 = 2,540 kgCO2e.
Measure your own with the free home energy calculator.
Frequently asked questions
- How do I measure my heating-oil emissions?
- Take the litres from your delivery invoices for the year and multiply by the official per-litre factor shown on this page. Litres are the published unit, so no conversion is needed.