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Countries on the continent, such as Germany, are leading the way in reducing their gas demand, according to a new report.
Meanwhile the UK lags behind its European counterparts, and shows no signs of reducing its gas consumption, with an untimely mild autumn leading to only modest drops.
Independent analysis carried out by Imperial College London for Drax Electric Insights claims that households could save up to £200 by turning their thermostats down by just 1°C.
In turn, it will save Westminster around £3 billion in funding the energy price guarantee.
According to Drax’s Q3 2022 research, the UK’s year-on-year decline in gas was ahead of Germany, France, Italy and Spain.
© Provided by Drax Electric InsightFuel demand in Britain actually rose in September compared to previous years.
The drop in gas use in the UK was attributed to unusually warm weather, rather than people adjusting their behaviour, the company said.
Between September and the end of November, Britain’s gas demand adjusted for weather anomalies was just 0.3% lower than expected pre-energy crisis.
Europe is still grappling with energy shortages and there are fears that the problem could worsen with a particularly cold start in January and February.
Ian Staffel of Imperial College London and lead author of the quarterly Drax Electric Insights report said: “The UK is an outlier on the world stage, showing no signs of abating its appetite for gas in times of dramatically higher prices.
“If temperatures continue to drop through the holiday season, managing the energy crisis will become both more difficult and more expensive unless people and businesses break their addiction to gas. Turning the thermostat down just 1°C will save households up to £200 a year on their energy bills and save the UK from importing 50TWh of natural gas in winter – reducing the cost of the Government’s Energy Price Guarantee by £3bn.”
On the continent, national governments have introduced demand reduction measures, along with information campaigns to motivate the public and businesses to act.
In Germany, public buildings have their thermostats set to 19°C and outdoor illuminated advertisements must be turned off between 10pm and 6am.
Penny Small, group generation director at Drax, said: “The UK energy system is under significant strain this winter as a result of Russia’s war in Ukraine and most household budgets are under pressure from a combination of rising inflation and gas prices.
“Britain’s long-term energy security will be strengthened by ending our reliance on expensive imported fossil fuels such as gas and instead increasing investment in indigenous renewables and innovative green technologies such as Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS) and pumped storage hydro. “
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