The Report

89% of UK council tools are petrol powered, using 600,000 litres of fuel each year.

The emissions of the most widely used power tool, exceeds that of a car!

84% agree that everybody should help to reduce pollution.

Just three statistics you can find in The Report.

The UK’s most popular petrol-powered outdoor power tools have been put to the test, as part of a new report published by EGO. Bringing together evidence, insight and expert opinion, The Report uncovers the true environmental impact of petrol-powered tools – and outlines consumer attitudes when it comes to tackling climate change.

Our research shows that more than 89% of tools used by councils in the UK are powered by petrol engines which collectively use more than 600,000 litres of fuel every year, and are used to maintain public spaces, parks and even school playing fields. When subject to emissions tests, however, these tools are proven to use significant levels of petrol compared to the average car and in some cases even exceed permitted levels of particulates!

The Report is our biggest research project to date and the startling statistics we’ve been able to uncover outline just how damaging petrol-powered equipment is for our environment. Despite using petrol engines, these tools are not subject to the same standards and testing as road going vehicles, so we put them through emissions tests and found some alarming results.

Knowing how damaging these tools can be in terms of pollution, it’s worrying that they remain in the hands of unassuming users and are still used to maintain outside space. We want to make people aware of the dangers of petrol-powered tools, not just on our environment, but also on the health of ourselves and our communities.

To gather the comprehensive results for The Report, we commissioned emissions and fuel economy tests, carried out a survey of domestic and professional power tool users and submitted Freedom of Information requests to analyse data from councils across the UK.

To download a condensed version of The Report, follow the instructions below.

To download our full version of The Report and see the full environmental impact of petrol-powered tools, please use the form below.