According to studies, the UK could eliminate the need for Russian gas imports this year by combining energy efficiency, boosting renewable power output, and a push to assist people to alter their behavior, Guardian reports.
During the Covid-19 epidemic, information initiatives had a significant influence in influencing people’s behavior. Many individuals are unaware of the energy savings they may achieve by making little modifications that have no impact on their comfort but have a significant impact on their expenses.
Turning down thermostats slightly and altering the “flow” temperature on condensing boilers, for example, might save annual heating expenditures by more than 15%. Setting down the flow temperature, which determines the heat of water flowing to radiators but does not affect the room temperature, may save up to 8% of yearly expenditures while turning down thermostats could save approximately 10%.
A pleasant room temperature is from 18 to 21 degrees Celsius, yet many people set their thermostats to 22 degrees Celsius or higher.
According to the green think-tank E3G, these efforts, together with greater insulation, switching to heat pumps, and using more energy-efficient appliances, may slash Russian gas imports to the UK by 80% this year, saving roughly £150 on the average family bill. The remaining 20% might be reduced by increasing renewable energy generation, such as new wind farms and solar panels.
Colm Britchfield, an E3G researcher and co-author of the paper, believes that with government backing, ordinary UK families can play a significant part in removing Putin from the UK energy system.
The study discovered that current policies and methods may be used to achieve the change if they are explored more fully. For example, four government initiatives that currently assist in the insulation of houses and public buildings – the local authority delivery scheme, home upgrade grant, and public sector and social housing decarbonization funds – are expected to be worth approximately £3.4 billion between 2022 and 2025.
Russia is only a tiny supplier of gas to the UK, accounting for only 3% of the market since the majority of the country’s supply comes from the North Sea and Norway, but lowering imports might aid the worldwide campaign to put pressure on Vladimir Putin. Reduced gas consumption would also help to alleviate the cost of living issue caused by skyrocketing fossil fuel costs.