UK can eliminate need for Russian gas this year, research shows
The UK could eliminate all need for imports of Russian gas this year through a combination of energy efficiency, expanding renewable power generation and a campaign to help people change their behaviour, research has found.
Information campaigns played a strong role in changing people’s behaviour during the Covid-19 pandemic. Many people are unaware of the savings they could make in energy use through small changes that make no difference to their comfort but can cut bills substantially.
For instance, turning down thermostats slightly and adjusting the “flow” temperature on condensing boilers could reduce annual heating bills by more than 15%. The flow temperature governs the heat of water sent to radiators but does not reduce the room temperature, and turning it down could save up to 8% of annual costs, while turning down thermostats could save about 10%.
A comfortable room temperature is 18C to 21C, but many people set their thermostats at 22C or above.
These measures, along with better insulation, switching to heat pumps and using more energy efficient appliances, could cut imports of Russian gas to the UK by 80% this year and save about £150 on the average household bill, according to the green thinktank E3G. The remaining 20% could be eliminated by generating more power from renewable sources, such as new windfarms and solar panels.
Colm Britchfield, researcher at E3G and co-author of the report, said: “With government support, ordinary UK households can play a huge role in cutting Putin out of our energy system.”
The shift can be accomplished using existing policies and mechanisms, if they were pursued more thoroughly, the research found. For example, four government initiatives that currently help insulate houses and
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