(Goncalo Fonseca/Bloomberg)
Grant Smith, Bloomberg News
LONDON
EnergiesNet.com 04 22 2022
The European Union is calling on citizens to play their part in breaking the continent’s dependence on Russian energy.
In partnership with the International Energy Agency, the bloc outlined nine steps that consumers can take: from turning down heating and lowering car speeds to remote working.
“We are facing the first global energy crisis,” IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol said in a joint webinar with EU officials.
European governments already have contemplated measures at a national level to diversify away from Russia following its invasion of Ukraine, but now they’re trying to get individuals on board.
The savings could be substantial, potentially cutting back each year on 17 billion cubic meters of natural gas and 220 million barrels of oil — enough to fill 120 supertankers. Households could save 450 euros ($491) annually on their average energy bills, according to the report
And if efficiency measures aren’t adopted, the consequences could be painful, Birol warned, with utilities compelled to ration energy supplies to consumers.
bloomberg.com 04 21 2022
