Activity data·IT & digital

How to measure emissions from Electrical items

Electrical items activity data covers purchased appliances, batteries and electrical components such as fridges, freezers and network cabling, recorded in kg, tonne or unit under Scope 3 Category 1. Select battery chemistry and appliance size sub-types where supplier data allows. This entry pairs with Waste electrical items on the disposal side and excludes general computing hardware, which sits under Computers.

Scope
Scope 3 Category 1
What activity data you need
kg, tonne, £ Spend, $ Spend
Activity data
IT & digital
01

What counts as Electrical items

Purchased electrical items and appliances not otherwise classified as computers or IT hardware — for example batteries, fridges and freezers, small and large household or office appliances, and network cabling components such as microducts. Recorded at point of purchase; excludes disposal of these items at end of life (see Waste electrical items).

Electrical items is a broad purchased-goods entry covering appliances and electrical components that fall outside the dedicated Computers entry. Battery chemistry (alkaline, lithium-ion, NiMH) and appliance size (small vs large) both materially affect the purchased-goods intensity, so use the closest matching sub-type rather than a blended average wherever supplier data allows it. This entry mirrors Waste electrical items on the disposal side — the two should reconcile over an asset's life if you track both purchase and disposal.

How to collect the data

Procurement or IT asset-management system exports are the primary source, ideally itemised by product category (batteries, fridges/freezers, IT electrical items, network components) and recorded in kg, tonne or Unit depending on what your supplier invoices provide. For batteries specifically, request chemistry information (alkaline, Li-ion, NiMH) from the supplier since this determines the correct sub-type; where multiple appliance sizes are bundled in one order, split by size category if the invoice allows.

02

What activity data you need

Collect the most specific physical unit available. Unit definitions are in Appendix I — Description of Units.

  • kg
  • tonne
  • £ Spend
  • $ Spend
03

Which emission scope it falls under

Electrical items activity data typically maps to Scope 3 Category 1 under the GHG Protocol. Confirm organisational boundary and ownership before reporting.

Scope 3 Category 1

By emission scope

04

Sub-types available in the platform

All 19 sub-types available in the platform.

  • Batteries: Alkaline
  • Batteries: Li ion
  • Batteries: Li ion and NiMh: Average
  • Batteries: NiMh
  • Electrical items: Average
  • Electrical items: Average: UK
  • Fridges and freezers
  • I.T. electrical items
  • Large electrical items
  • Microduct: Hexatronic: 12/MPB30222/1R Microduct
  • Microduct: Hexatronic: 12/MPB30224/12R Microduct
  • Microduct: Hexatronic: 12/MPB30224/4R Microduct
  • Microduct: Hexatronic: Average Microduct
  • Microduct: Hexatronic: MPB30210/1R Microduct
  • Microduct: Hexatronic: MPB30214/12R Microduct
  • Microduct: Hexatronic: MPB30245/2R Microduct
  • Microduct: Hexatronic: MPB30245/4R Microduct
  • Mixed size electrical items
  • Small electrical items
05

Common questions

How should we record a bulk battery order with mixed chemistries?
Split the order by chemistry (alkaline, Li-ion, NiMH) using supplier packing-list detail where available; if genuinely mixed and unsplittable, use the "Batteries: Li ion and NiMh: Average" sub-type rather than defaulting to alkaline.
Do laptops and monitors belong under Electrical items?
No — general computing hardware is recorded under the Computers entry; Electrical items is for appliances, batteries and electrical components (e.g. fridges, network cabling) not covered by Computers.
We install network cabling as part of a broadband rollout — which sub-type applies?
Use the relevant microduct sub-type matching the specific product code your supplier provides where available, or the "Average Microduct" sub-type if product-level detail is unavailable.
Should refurbished appliances be recorded differently from new?
Record the purchase transaction the same way (unit count, weight or spend), but note refurbished status in your internal records if your platform distinguishes it, since refurbished items typically carry a lower purchased-goods footprint than new.
How does this entry relate to Waste electrical items?
This entry records the purchase of electrical items; Waste electrical items records their disposal at end of life. Tracking both lets you reconcile purchase and disposal volumes over an asset's lifecycle, though the two are reported as separate line items.

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