# Collecting energy and fuel data: invoices, certificates and meters

> How to collect electricity, heat and gas data for emissions accounting: which documents you need, how to convert units, how to reconcile meters with invoices and how to avoid common mistakes.

Source: https://7g.carbonplatform.asia/en/kb/energy-data-collection

To account for Scope 1 and 2 emissions, you need monthly data on electricity, heat and fuel consumption for each facility, backed by primary documents: supplier invoices, certificates of completion and meter readings. The closer the data is to actual measurement and the better it is documented, the more reliable the calculation and the easier it is to pass a review by a bank or a verifier.

## What data to collect

| Resource | Unit | Data source | Scope |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grid electricity | kWh | Utility invoice, certificate of completion, meter readings | Scope 2 |
| Purchased heat | kWh (or Gcal, converted) | Heat supplier's invoice, certificate of completion | Scope 2 |
| Natural gas | m³ | Gas supplier's invoice, readings from the metering station | Scope 1 |
| Motor fuel | l or t | Vehicle logs, fuel cards | Scope 1 |

Collect data for each facility separately: this makes errors easier to find and shows where emissions are concentrated.

## Primary documents

Every value should rest on a document you can show to a reviewer:

- **invoice** — records the volume the supplier has billed for payment;
- **certificate** (an acceptance certificate or a reconciliation statement) — confirms the volume agreed between the parties;
- **meter readings** — a dated photo or data export; useful for reconciliation and for facilities without a separate invoice.

Keep documents linked to the month and the facility. If a volume is calculated rather than taken from a document (for example, allocated between tenants by floor area), mark it as an estimate and describe the method; see [Data quality](https://7g.carbonplatform.asia/en/kb/data-quality).

## Unit conversion

A common mistake is a mismatch between the units of the data and those of the emission factor. Typical conversions:

- heat: 1 Gcal ≈ 1,163 kWh;
- electricity: 1 MWh = 1,000 kWh;
- gas: if the invoice is in thousands of m³, multiply by 1,000.

Example: a facility received 120 Gcal of heat in January. In kWh, that is 120 × 1,163 = 139,560 kWh. For this worked example, we use an emission factor of 0.2 kg CO₂e/kWh (estimated): 139,560 × 0.2 = 27,912 kg, or about 27.9 t CO₂e.

## Reconciliation and checks

1. **Meter and invoice.** The difference between the readings at the start and end of the month should match the volume on the invoice, taking the transformer ratio into account.
2. **Trends.** Compare the month with the previous one and with the same month last year: a sudden jump often means a unit error or double counting.
3. **Period.** Invoices sometimes cover something other than a calendar month; assign the volume to the month of consumption.
4. **Completeness.** Check that every facility has all 12 months and all resources.

## Organizing the process

For each facility, appoint a data preparer who enters the data and a reviewer who approves it. Set a deadline, for example a specific day of the following month. Once the data has been checked, the period is closed, and any later corrections go through reopening it; for details, see [Period closing](https://7g.carbonplatform.asia/en/kb/period-closing).

## How it works in the platform

- On the [Data entry](https://7g.carbonplatform.asia/data-entry) screen, data is entered month by month for each facility. For Scope 1, it is enough to enter the fuel and its quantity: the platform selects the calculation methodology itself based on the unit and the source category.
- Purchased electricity and heat (Scope 2) are entered through energy connections, either as the quantity from a document (“Bill or statement”) or from the opening and closing meter readings (“Meter readings”).
- Supporting documents are attached to values: invoices, certificates of completion, photos of meter readings, contracts. A month with no consumption is marked “No consumption” so that it cannot be mistaken for a gap.
- The platform does not yet import data from files: data is entered in the monthly form, as described step by step in [Data entry](https://7g.carbonplatform.asia/en/kb/data-entry).

## Frequently asked questions

### What if the invoice for a month has not arrived?

Enter an estimate based on meter readings or on the average for a comparable period, mark it as an estimate, and replace it with the actual value once the invoice arrives, before the period is approved.

### How should energy be accounted for in leased premises without a separate meter?

Allocate the total volume using a justified key (floor area, equipment capacity), describe the method and mark the data as an estimate.

### Does diesel for a backup generator need to be included?

Yes, if the generator is within your boundaries. It is stationary combustion, Scope 1, even if the volumes are small.