Electrification isn’t the finish line if the grid isn’t clean when you plug in

As organisations remove gas boilers and install heat pumps, they’re rightly targeting Scope 1 emissions—the direct carbon released on site. But as that demand shifts to electricity, another question emerges: just how green is the grid you’re relying on?

It’s easy to assume that electrification means decarbonisation. But the truth is more complicated. What used to be a Scope 1 problem is now a Scope 2 one—and in many cases, it’s not as clean as the spreadsheet suggests.

Two problems: cost and carbon

Electrification of heat isn’t just a technical shift—it’s a financial and environmental one. Electricity still costs significantly more than gas. And while it’s greener than it used to be, the grid isn’t fully decarbonised.

The demand for green electricity is rising. Heat pumps, EVs, batteries—each adds pressure to a system that can’t scale renewables fast enough. Without better matching of supply and demand, decarbonisation slows down – just when it needs to accelerate.

Supply, demand, and double counting

The market for “green electricity” isn’t unlimited. Suppliers sell green energy contracts to as many buyers as they can verify. Once that stock runs out, the rest of their customers, often unknowingly, get their energy from the same mixed grid, while still assuming it’s green. This leads to a kind of carbon double-counting.

Just buying a green tariff doesn’t guarantee that your energy was renewable at the time you used it. In a net-zero strategy, that matters.

The shift to 24/7 green

Some of the most ambitious organisations—think global tech leaders like Google—aren’t just buying clean energy. They’re tracking when it’s actually clean. That means monitoring grid carbon intensity hourly, shifting loads when possible, and using their own renewables or storage to fill the gaps.

This approach—24/7 carbon matching—sets a new standard. It’s harder. But it’s honest. And it reflects a reality many are just starting to reckon with: it’s not enough to say you’ve bought green. You need to know when it’s green.

Why it matters now

The grid has come a long way in decarbonising. However, demand is rising rapidly, driven by electrified heating, electric vehicles, and ambitious net-zero goals. Without major infrastructure expansion, the renewable share risks falling behind, even as total capacity grows.

And in some markets, such as Ireland, real-time grid carbon data isn’t even available. That makes true Scope 2 tracking impossible, limiting the credibility of sustainability reporting.

Start with what you can measure

For many organisations, hourly tracking may feel out of reach. But starting with grid intensity data—where it’s available—is the first step toward smarter electrification. Even without real-time grid data, there’s plenty you can act on—if you know where to look. 

Understanding when and where your energy is being used allows you to reduce unnecessary demand, shift flexible loads, and design systems that don’t overshoot your limits. That’s where deep performance insight becomes essential. By mapping actual usage patterns, identifying waste, and revealing opportunities to optimise, you can build an electrification strategy that works with the infrastructure you have—not the one you wish for. Because in a market where power and data are both in short supply, clarity is your strongest asset.