What's the carbon footprint of your house move?
Uses UK DEFRA / BEIS 2024 emission factors · Free, no account required · By Sandor Bundsag, Co-founder, URemovals
Moving house produces real CO₂ emissions. Enter your van size, distance, and fuel type below to see how much your move generates, compare it to everyday activities, and find out how URemovals helps offset it through Stripe Climate.
Your Move Details
Fill in your move details and tap Calculate carbon footprint to see:
Emission factors based on UK DEFRA / BEIS greenhouse gas reporting factors 2024. Figures are estimates and may vary by route, load, and driving conditions.
About the Move CO₂ Calculator
How much CO₂ does a house move produce?
A typical UK house move using a medium transit van over 25 miles produces around 9 to 10 kg CO₂e. A local studio flat move in a small van might produce 3 to 4 kg, while a full house move in a Luton van travelling 100 miles generates closer to 65 kg. The main variables are van size, distance, and fuel type. Electric vans produce around 80% fewer emissions than diesel over the same route, though they remain uncommon in the UK removal market.
What is CO₂e and why does this tool use it?
CO₂e stands for carbon dioxide equivalent. It is a standard unit for expressing the total greenhouse gas impact of an activity by converting methane and nitrous oxide emissions into their CO₂ equivalent. All figures in this tool use the UK DEFRA and BEIS 2024 greenhouse gas reporting factors, which are the same reference values used by UK businesses for their annual emissions reporting.
What is the most carbon-efficient way to move house?
Booking the right-sized van is the single biggest factor within your control. Hiring a Luton van for a one-bedroom flat move adds unnecessary emissions and cost. Booking a local removal company also reduces deadhead miles (the empty return journey the driver makes after dropping off), which are not reflected in the distance you enter but add to the total carbon of the job. An electric or hybrid van reduces emissions significantly if one is available in your area.
How does URemovals offset carbon from bookings?
URemovals contributes 1% of every booking to Stripe Climate. This funds permanent carbon removal technologies including enhanced rock weathering, direct air capture, and biochar, rather than standard tree-planting credits. Tree planting counts only temporary carbon storage and comes with significant uncertainty about permanence. The companies funded through Stripe Climate are targeting durable, verifiable carbon removal at scale.
How does van size affect carbon emissions per mile?
Larger vans carry bigger engines and heavier loads, both of which increase fuel consumption and therefore emissions per mile. Based on 2024 DEFRA figures: a small diesel van produces around 0.28 kg CO₂e per mile, a medium transit around 0.38 kg, a large transit around 0.48 kg, and a Luton van around 0.62 kg. These figures assume a full or near-full load. An empty large van running to pick up a job will produce similar emissions per mile without the carbon efficiency of a full vehicle.
Sandor ran a man and van service in Hampshire with his uncle Robert before co-founding URemovals. He oversees provider relations and URemovals' sustainability commitments, including the Stripe Climate contribution on every booking.
Emissions at a glance
Diesel vans, kg CO₂e per mile (DEFRA 2024)
- Small van 0.28 kg
- Medium transit 0.38 kg
- Large transit 0.48 kg
- Luton van 0.62 kg
- Electric (medium) 0.08 kg
Typical move footprints
- Studio flat, 5 miles ~1.5 kg
- 1-bed flat, 15 miles ~6 kg
- 2-bed home, 25 miles ~12 kg
- 3-bed home, 50 miles ~31 kg
- Large house, 100 miles ~96 kg