The crisis in Ukraine has brought about a significant change in Europe’s gas usage. It is predicted that gas consumption will decline this year as more households and businesses adopt energy-efficient upgrades and heat pumps, as reported by the international energy organization.
According to a report by the International Energy Agency, developed economies in the continent decreased their consumption of gas by 15% in 2022 due to Russia’s decision to halt gas flows following its invasion.
The IEA reported that gas consumption in Europe decreased by 9% during the first three-quarters of this year, potentially resulting in a gradual decline in gas demand in the future for both households and commercial establishments.
The research discovered that approximately 40% of the savings were due to the mild winter weather, while the remaining majority was attributed to a rise in demand for electric heat pumps and efficiency upgrades.
The IEA anticipates a similar pattern to occur in the United States following the incorporation of energy efficiency improvements in the Biden administration’s $369 billion (£291 billion) environmentally-friendly economic recovery plan.
It is predicted that households and commercial buildings in the US will decrease their gas consumption by approximately 1% annually from 2022 to 2026. This is due to advancements in efficiency and the implementation of heat pumps, which aim to lower carbon emissions from gas-powered heating, despite the country having significant reserves of natural gas.
The International Energy Agency emphasized the importance of improving energy efficiency in order for world leaders to achieve their climate goals. This statement was made just days before the kickoff of the Cop28 climate summit in the United Arab Emirates, which is scheduled to begin on Thursday.
The executive director of the IEA, Fatih Birol, stated that the success of global climate goals depends on improving the efficiency of the energy system. To maintain the 1.5C target and ensure energy security, it is crucial for governments to double their efforts in energy efficiency over the next decade.
The results of this report serve as a strong reminder to the leaders convening at the Cop28 climate conference in Dubai that they must all pledge to take more decisive steps towards efficiency and follow through with it.
The UK saw a 7% increase in energy efficiency last year, according to the IEA. However, this was lower than its neighboring countries such as the Netherlands, Ireland, and France, which all saw improvements of at least 12%.
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Advocates for consumers are concerned that the UK government’s neglect of prioritizing initiatives aimed at enhancing energy efficiency will result in numerous households being unable to afford heating during the winter season.
According to a survey conducted by YouGov for the fuel poverty organization National Energy Action, approximately 41% of customers with prepayment meters, totaling to around 2 million households, have experienced a lack of credit on their meter and were unable to use any energy in the past three months.
The study also revealed that 43% of grown-ups opted to go to bed earlier in order to stay warm, while 13% resorted to using household appliances like ovens for heating, and 23% either kept their curtains closed all day or covered their windows with newspaper to block out the cold.
Source: theguardian.com
