Thicker jumpers and new shower heads: six ways to reduce gas consumption
Governments across Europe are preparing for gas shortages this winter and are running public information campaigns to try to reduce consumption. In Germany, the spotlights on public monuments have been switched off and showers have gone cold at municipal pools and sports halls.
Amid concerns that Russia could turn off the flow of gas into Europe, having already reduced supplies to the continent by 75%, the EU has asked member states to cut usage by 15% and Germany has gone further, targeting a 20% cut to avoid winter shortages.
Various methods have been floated to reduce energy consumption, from asking the public to take shorter showers in Hamburg to the new motto developed in the Netherlands, “zet de knop om”, or “turn the knob down” on heating.
In the UK, ministers seem set against any such intervention, with a Downing Street spokesperson saying on Monday that consumption of gas and electricity was a “decision for individuals”. Civil servants have raised the option of asking the public to cut back on energy use, but the business secretary, Kwasi Kwarteng, who is likely to be the next chancellor if Liz Truss is chosen as prime minister, is reportedly against the idea.
The UK is less reliant than the continent on Russian gas, but there are growing concerns over blackouts if Vladimir Putin cuts supplies to zero. A study by the City analysts Bernstein using data gathered by Cambridge Architectural Research for the government examined the options that could make the biggest difference, cutting gas usage by nearly a third in a best-case scenario. Here, we examine the measures.
1. Turning down the thermostat by a degree, from 20C to 19C – estimated gas consumption saving 7%
Gas demand doubles in the winter as households turn on the
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