Drive slower on the highways, lower the thermostat and use less air conditioning, work from home, use public transport and prefer trains to short-haul flights. These are some of the measures presented on Thursday by the International Energy Agency (IEA) and the European Commission which they say would save European households money, reduce dependence on the EU vis-à-vis Russian fossil fuels, to support Ukraine and to contribute to the fight against climate change. .
“Reducing energy consumption also supports Ukraine by reducing the need for Russian oil and gas, thereby helping to reduce the flow of revenue funding the invasion,” the IEA and EC say.
The EU has started discussions on a possible embargo on Russian oil imports, and the bloc is said to be in talks with oil-producing countries for potential deals to quickly secure non-Russian oil supplies. The EU, however, continues to be split over the idea of a Russian oil embargo, with Germany leading the opposing group to an immediate outright ban.
If consumers in the EU today follow the recommendations made by the IEA and the EU, a typical household in the European Union could reduce, on average, its energy bill by more than $490 (450 euros ) per year, they say.
Lowering the thermostat at home by just 1 degree Celsius would save around 7% of the energy used for heating. Setting the air conditioner 1 degree Celsius higher could reduce the amount of electricity used by almost 10%, note the IEA and EC.
If all EU citizens followed the recommendations at home and at work, it would save 220 million barrels of oil per year, which is enough to fill 120 supertankers, and about 17 billion cubic meters of gas, which is enough to heat almost 20 million homes, according to the IEA and the EC.
“Citizens have the power to immediately reduce their energy consumption and fuel bills. But it is government authorities – from national to regional, municipal and local levels – that are ultimately best placed to encourage energy-saving actions,” said the energy agency and the executive arm of the EU.
By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com
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