Richard’s Blog - August 21, 2026 13:51

A gas boiler puts out roughly the equivalent of 2.2 tonnes of greenhouse gas pollution every year. That's a Range Rover, per home, every year.From: "Pump Action", Private Eye, no. 1681, 7 Aug 2026, page 13.I can't help myself. I went and checked those numbers.The 2.2 tonnes number appears in a 2022 Nesta report. They show their working from Ofgem and government estimates.In the same report they give the average UK car usage as 30 km/day, which I take to be 10,950 km/year. The 30 km number is close to the 2022 value in the Department of Transport's vehicle mileage and occupancy report.So: is that the same as a Ranger Rover per home?According to VehicleScore, the latest petrol Ranger Rover (the 2025 Range Rover Autobiography) emits 197 g/km of CO2.197 g/km x 10,950 km/year = 2,157,150 g CO2/year...which is indeed 2.2 tonnes of tailpipe emissions. One Range Rover is a gas boiler.But not so fast. That was 2022. It could be that gas boilers have become more efficient (unlikely?), or less…