Visualising five of the UK’s polluted cities

Levels of air pollution in Manchester are considered dangerously high and the city exceeds the WHO’s air pollution limit with 46 micrograms of NO₂⁵.  Road transport is the largest contributor to illegal levels of air pollution in Greater Manchester⁶ and it’s thought that air pollution contributes to 1,200 early deaths each year in Greater Manchester⁷.

Our research has shown that three in ten (28%) people in the North West would like to do their bit to reduce air pollution but don’t know how². One in five (20%) think they’re doing the most they can reduce air pollution already and two thirds (67%) are worried about children's future in terms of pollution of the planet and dirty air².

Nottingham breaches the WHO’s air pollution limit at 43 micrograms of NO₂ – 1.1 times over the legal limit⁵. On high air pollution days, the risk of cardiac arrest is 2.3% higher in Nottingham than on low air pollution days⁸ and nine in ten parents in the East Midlands (87%)² are worried about the risk air pollution poses to their family.

London has experienced illegal levels of air pollution since 2010⁹ and the city exceeds the WHO’s air pollution limit at 77 micrograms of NO₂ – 1.9 times over the legal limit⁵. Almost every school in London (94%) is in an area where air pollution exceeds the WHO’s limit, compared to 24% of schools elsewhere in the country⁹.

What’s more, nine in ten (89%) London parents are concerned about air pollution and over half (52%) want to help reduce air pollution, but don’t know how².

Wales’ capital city comes in at 42 micrograms of NO₂, putting just above the threshold for safe air pollution levels⁵. Private cars are one of the biggest generators of air pollution in Cardiff¹⁰ and with fewer people now using public transport because of the Covid-19 pandemic it’s likely that this trend will continue¹¹.

Seven in ten (71%) Welsh parents are worried about their children’s future in terms of air pollution but almost half (51%) feel they lack an understanding of what they can do to help².

Birmingham’s NO₂ is up to 50% higher than it should be¹² which is why it launched its Clean Air Zone earlier this year, after being one of 37 local authorities required by the government to implement one¹³. The scale of Birmingham’s air pollution problem is said to cost the city £470m every year¹⁴ and three in ten (29%) parents in the West Midlands say they think about the dangers of air pollution all the time².

But we can all help reduce air pollution in the fight against climate change. During lockdowns, air quality throughout the UK improved as we all stayed at home, weren’t driving polluting vehicles as much and weren’t travelling to far away destinations. In fact, levels of dangerous pollutants fell by up to 40% towns and cities across the UK in April 2020¹⁵ alone.

Cleaner transport, greener energy and smarter heating can all contribute to cleaner air. We provide all our customers’ homes with 100% renewable electricity¹⁶ and offer solar panels and battery storage that enable you to generate and store energy. We’re committed to playing our part in tackling the issue of air pollution and offer a range of solutions that can help.

We recently launched our ‘Air Heroes’ campaign to help involve children and parents in the fight against air pollution. We’re offering children across the country the opportunity to win a limited-edition ‘Air Heroes’ cape, with the winners receiving a cape for themselves and their entire class.

The capes use a technical fabric that breaks down harmful pollutants to help destroy air pollution and remove harmful emissions, ensuring together children can help to destroy the dirty air around their school.

Find out more about how you can help reduce air pollution near schools or make your home more sustainable.

^{1. National Geographic: Air pollution}

^{2. Research carried out by E.ON with 72Point in July 2021 with 2,000 respondents (parents and primary school aged children 6-11)}

^{3. Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Air Pollution in the UK 2019, September 2020}

^{4. World Health Organisation: Ambient (outdoor) air pollution}

^{5. ClientEarth: UK Air Pollution: How clean is the air you breathe?}

^{6. ClientEarth: Greater Manchester: tell your councils it’s high time they take air pollution seriously}

^{7. Clean Air Greater Manchester: Air pollution and you}

^{8. King’s College London: Personalising the Health Impacts of Air Pollution: Interim Statistics Summary for a Selection of Statements}

^{9. BBC News: Nearly every London school in high air pollution area, report says}

^{10. Cardiff Council: Questions and answers on clean air and health}

^{11. The Cardiffian: Air pollution in Cardiff worse than London}

^{12. Birmingham City Council: Air quality limits}

^{13. The Guardian: Birmingham launches clean air zone for private cars}

^{14. The Guardian: Air pollution in Birmingham 'shortens lives of children by half a year'}

^{15. The Telegraph: Huge drop in air pollution in first month of coronavirus lockdown}

^{16. Electricity backed by 100% renewable sources. Electricity sourced from E.ON's renewable assets, agreements with independent UK generators and the purchase of renewable electricity certificates. The electricity supplied to your home comes from the National Grid. Find out more at eonenergy.com/renewable.}