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Fleet carbon reporting UK regulations: how GPS mileage data supports SECR
LockCAR makes GPS trackers and 4G dashcams in Birmingham and runs the LFM platform for fleets of five or more vehicles. This page explains, for fleet managers and finance teams, what the UK’s Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting rules ask for and how accurate mileage from your vehicles feeds into them.
- Mileage recorded automatically
- Export by vehicle and date
- For fleets of 5+
What SECR asks of businesses that run vehicles
Check with your accountant or adviser whether SECR applies to you. If it does, mileage is where fleet reporting begins.
- Who has to report
- Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting applies to UK quoted companies, large unquoted companies and large limited liability partnerships.
- What goes in the report
- UK energy use and greenhouse gas emissions are reported in the annual directors’ report.
- Why fleets matter
- For transport-heavy businesses, fuel used by company vehicles is often one of the largest parts of the total.
- Where the numbers start
- Fuel and emissions estimates are usually built from mileage, so the quality of the mileage decides the quality of the figure.
- The trouble with driver logs
- Hand-written or self-reported mileage is easy to forget, round up or fill in after the event.
From journey data to a carbon figure
A common method uses mileage by vehicle type and the official conversion factors published each year.
Export the mileage
LFM records route, time and distance for every journey. Export the totals for each vehicle and the reporting period.
Match each vehicle to its fuel and size
Group the mileage by vehicle category, such as diesel van, petrol car or electric car.
Apply the government conversion factors
Use the UK government’s greenhouse gas conversion factors for each category to turn mileage into emissions for your report.
Keep a note of the method and the factors you used, so next year’s figure is worked out the same way and the two years can be compared fairly.
What LFM data does, and what it does not
Larger organisations that also report under frameworks such as the GHG Protocol can use the same mileage records for vehicles they own.
LFM gives you
- Mileage for every journey, recorded without driver input
- Exports by vehicle and date range
- Driver behaviour reports to plan reductions
- A consistent source year after year
- Records for every tracked vehicle in one place
LFM does not
- Calculate emissions or write the report
- Replace fuel card or invoice records
- Cover vehicles without a LockCAR 4G system
Using the same data to bring emissions down
Reporting is the requirement. Reducing is where the data earns its keep.
- Idling you can seeReports show which vehicles spend the longest running while stationary.
- Motorway speedSpeeding reports point to the drivers whose habits use the most fuel.
- Fewer miles on the clockJourney history shows doubled-back routes that can be planned out.
- The right number of vehiclesLow-mileage vehicles may not be needed at all, and every vehicle removed takes its emissions with it, along with its running costs.
Hardware that feeds LFM
Every vehicle you want in the report needs a LockCAR 4G system with GPS.
| Hardware | Mileage in LFM | Extra | Price fitted |
|---|---|---|---|
| LockCar One Plus 4G | Recorded every journey | Road dashcam and immobiliser | £499 |
| LockCar Duo RH Plus 4G | Recorded every journey | Road and cabin cameras, immobiliser | £699 |
| LFM Fleet Monitoring Platform | Whole fleet, exportable | Live map, alerts, driver reports | On request |
The same hardware also protects the fleet: every LockCAR 4G system includes an immobiliser, and on compatible systems LFM can open a live camera view or immobilise a vehicle remotely.
Fleet carbon reporting questions
Does SECR apply to my business?
It applies to quoted companies, large unquoted companies and large LLPs. Your accountant can confirm whether your business meets the tests.
Can LFM export mileage for a reporting year?
Yes. Set the date range to your reporting year and export the distance driven by each vehicle, along with route and time.
Is GPS mileage better than drivers’ logs?
It is recorded automatically for every journey, so it does not depend on drivers remembering to write it down, and it is the same method for every vehicle.
Does LFM work out our emissions?
No. It provides the mileage. You or your adviser apply the conversion factors and prepare the report, using whatever method your business has chosen.
What about employees’ own cars used for work?
LFM covers vehicles fitted with LockCAR 4G systems. Business mileage in private cars needs its own records.
Can we include electric vehicles?
Yes. Mileage for electric vehicles fitted with a LockCAR 4G system is recorded in the same way. Apply the conversion factor that matches the vehicle type.
How quickly can a fleet be fitted?
Each vehicle typically needs 60 to 90 minutes, and the work happens at your site, one vehicle after another.
Written by the LockCAR engineering team. We design and build CAN bus immobilisers, GPS trackers and 4G dashcams in the UK and fit them through our approved installers. Meet the engineers. Last updated .
