The Centre for Research into Energy Demand Solutions (CREDS) added two datasets to its Place-Based Carbon Calculator (PBCC) on 12 September 2022, extending the tool beyond England for the first time1.
The first addition is postcode-level domestic gas and electricity consumption for England, Scotland and Wales, drawn from government experimental statistics. Postcodes are usually far smaller than the Lower Super Output Area (LSOA) figures the PBCC already carried, covering a handful of homes rather than several hundred1. Each postcode can be clicked to show total, median and mean consumption, alongside estimates of average energy bills based on the current and future energy price cap1.
Coverage is uneven. The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy removed data for any postcode where publication was judged disclosive, such as a postcode with fewer than five homes, and this applies separately to gas, standard electricity and Economy 7 meters. Where data is withheld it is aggregated up to the postcode district, and because the aggregation differs by meter type the layers cannot be mapped together. In many areas the number of gas and electricity meters does not match1. CREDS describes the result as a mixed dataset that is very good in some places and quite poor in others1.
The second addition is Energy Performance Certificate data for England and Wales, now linked to the Unique Property Reference Number (UPRN) after the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities updated the register. This allows the exact location of a certificate to be mapped and information given on individual houses for the first time1. Certificates carry technical detail on construction and heating systems as well as the A to G rating, though CREDS notes they are prone to errors and valid for ten years, so may be outdated1.
"From today, we have added two new datasets to the PBCC."
Base maps were also updated, allowing closer zoom, adding individual buildings in 3D and hill shading, with fully 3D terrain promised in a future update1.
| Dataset | Coverage | Unit of detail |
|---|---|---|
| Domestic gas and electricity consumption | England, Scotland, Wales | Postcode, where not disclosive |
| Energy Performance Certificates | England, Wales | Individual property, via UPRN |
Why it matters for households
The PBCC is a public mapping tool, not a billing or metering system, so it does not change any household's charges. Its relevance is comparative: a household can see how its postcode's gas and electricity use sits against nearby areas, and the EPC layer shows the recorded rating and construction details for individual homes1. For a household weighing up home energy data for England, Scotland or Wales, the postcode layer is finer than the regional and local energy consumption statistics previously available, though the disclosure rules mean some postcodes are missing or merged. The bill estimates attached to each postcode are modelled from the price cap rather than taken from a household's own account1. CREDS states the mapping will not solve the energy crisis but hopes it prompts discussion about why energy use and bills are high in some areas1.
What happens next
CREDS says a future update will add fully 3D terrain to the base map1. No further dataset additions are dated in the announcement.
Sources1 cited
- Cost of living crisis and the PBCC – CREDS, creds.ac.uk