E3G, an independent climate change think tank, published a briefing on 16 March 2022 setting out nine steps it says the government could take immediately to reduce gas demand in homes and industry. The briefing was written by Colm Britchfield and Pedro Guertler1.
The plan states that the measures use existing policies and mechanisms, and that they would "cut Russian imports by 80% this year" and "save an average of £150 per household"1. E3G frames the proposals as a response to Europe's re-evaluation of its reliance on Russian energy imports after Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine1.
The nine steps listed in the briefing are1:
| Step |
|---|
| Increasing support for energy efficiency through existing schemes |
| Accelerating take-up of the most efficient appliances |
| Launching a major new public information campaign |
| Expanding the Boiler Upgrade Scheme to speed up the electrification of heat |
| Removing the tax penalties holding back energy saving home upgrades |
| Lowering bills and incentivising electrification by removing legacy policy costs |
| Introducing a comprehensive training offer to fill skills gaps |
| Incentivising energy efficiency by amending the stamp duty system |
| Accelerating the phase-out of gas boilers in new build homes |
E3G notes that the UK "does not import a high proportion of its gas directly from Russia", but argues that "as the price for gas is set internationally, regardless of where it is produced, the UK is still exposed to the unfolding energy crisis"1. The briefing says the quickest way to reduce that exposure is to use less gas by reducing demand in homes and industry, alongside faster investment in secure, clean energy1.
"This briefing sets out nine steps the government could take immediately, using existing policies and mechanisms, to cut Russian imports by 80% this year and save an average of £150 per household."
Why it matters for households
The briefing's central claim is that lower gas demand in homes translates into lower exposure to internationally set prices, and therefore into smaller bills. The £150 average saving is presented as a household-level figure across the nine measures, not as a saving from any single step1. For a household, the measures touch on several points where gas use is decided: the efficiency of the building itself, the appliances in it, the heating system, and the tax and policy costs attached to upgrades. E3G also links the plan to energy independence, arguing that reducing demand is a faster route to cutting exposure to volatile prices than supply-side changes alone1. Several of the steps concern how heat is generated and paid for at a local level, a subject covered in the site's guide to local energy supply.
What happens next
E3G names the Energy Supply Strategy and the Spring Statement as the opportunities for the government to act on household demand1. No further dates or commitments from government are given in the briefing.