The global energy market has been disrupted by the war inUkraine.
The European Union executive asked member states to reduce their gas consumption by 15 percent from now through next spring because of the energy crisis.
Some of the things that could be done to curb energy demand are listed here.
According to the International Energy Agency, setting an air-conditioning unit to just one degree Celsius could reduce electricity use by 10 percent a year.
The professor of energy and climate policy at the University of Oxford believes that governments can set an example. He said that the general public might not like politicians telling them how to live.
The annual gas demand of Austria could be reduced by as much as 10 billion liters of gas by adjusting the thermostat in the winter.
There was a summer of heat. Europe was ravaged by temperature spikes and wildfires during a brutal week that wasn't built for extreme heat. The US broke heat records during the Dust Bowl. There is a look at what happened.
The United Kingdom is located in the United States. For the first time in the history of the country, temperatures of over 40 degrees Celsius were recorded.
The temperature in Oklahoma City on Tuesday was tied for the state's highest ever July temperature. Austin, Texas, had a temperature of over 100 degrees for 40 days in a row.
Next week the Pacific Northwest will also heat up.
According to the I.E.A, incentivizing public transportation by making it cheaper and encouraging other mobility options could save 330,000 barrels a day of oil use.
If employers allowed more work-from- home days, that number could grow.
Sign up for the Climate Forward newsletter, for Times subscribers only. Your must-read guide to the climate crisis.Some European countries are doing this. In order to mitigate the effects of inflation, the German national railway company is offering unlimited public transport passes for $9 a month. Public transport fares in Ireland and Italy have been reduced for certain groups.
It wouldn't be very effective in rural areas that don't have a lot of public transportation.
According to a report from the International Energy Agency, lowering the speed limit on highways could reduce fuel consumption. Many countries and urban areas have speed limits in place.
The report said that if speeds were reduced by at least 10 kilometers per hour, advanced economies could cut oil demand by at least 285,000 barrels of oil a day.
It can be hard to get enough citizens to support a national speed limit. The United States tried to set a national speed limit of 55 miles per hour for cars, buses and trucks in 1974 after the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries cut oil supplies. Speed limits were reduced in several European countries.
The limit was supposed to reduce gasoline consumption by 2.2 percent, but it didn't seem to have much of an effect. Some states that opposed the rule gave out small fines for people caught speeding.
Poorly designed public awareness campaigns can fall flat if they don't find the right tone and message.
When people are told how they can save money with their actions, it's more successful than when they're told about good citizenship or the environment. Governments can use social media to communicate with different audiences.
It is important to think about the message and how it is communicated. According to an I.E.A. report, citizens are less likely to trust the government if they don't think it's credible.
There is a balance between agency and urgent.
Brian Motherway is the head of the energy efficiency division at the International Energy Agency. He said that you can get it right if you use behavioral scientists and communications experts.
It's possible to engage with citizens in a way that motivates them to act.
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