The National Grid in UK has a very useful app that tells us what the carbon emissions per unit generated are. Clearly this will be at its lowest at times of high wind or solar generation, and relatively low gas generation.
The implication is that it is better to use electricity when the average is low.
But is that actually so?
Unless we are in danger of shutting down wind or solar generation for lack of demand, which almost never happens in UK at the moment, each additional unit used comes from the supply that is responding to demand, which is currently almost always gas in UK.
Every unit of solar or wind electricty generated is always used. Switching something on at times of high renewable generation makes no difference!
So, when is the best time to use electricity?
The focus should continue to be on flattening the demand for gas, which will make gas generation more efficient, and ultimately reduce the capacity requirement for gas generation.
If you want to be sophisticated about it, track the gas power station output, for example from Kate Morley's excellent site
Otherwise, the best thing to do is to avoid the winter peak from around 3-8pm, and try to shift non-time-sensitive consumption from the day into the night-time trough from around midnight to 6am.
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