From Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications
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The government has today launched a new nationwide public information campaign – 'Reduce Your Use' – to promote and encourage efficiency and to highlight the range of supports that are available to households and businesses.
Emerging from the pandemic, international social and economic activity has ramped up demands on energy across the globe. In addition to the urgent humanitarian crisis, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has brought about new energy challenges – right across Europe. This has resulted in significant increases in the price of oil and natural gas which has, in turn, led to higher retail prices for petrol, diesel, heating oil, gas and electricity – not just in Ireland, but internationally.
In response, the government has introduced a suite of measures over recent months – to assist households and businesses in coping with higher energy costs.
Last week, the government published a new National Energy Security Framework. It provides an overarching and comprehensive response to Ireland’s energy security needs, in the context of the war in Ukraine. The nationwide 'Reduce Your Use' campaign is a key part of the government's wider approach, under this Framework.
The initial phase of the public information campaign will run for the next four weeks, with ads running in print, on radio and across social media. The campaign will be phased over the coming year, tailored for different seasons, activities and energy demands.
It will highlight how war and conflicts are affecting energy costs across Europe and how, now, more than ever, we need to be mindful of how we use energy in our daily lives – from the moment we wake until we switch off the lights at night. The campaign has a mobilising message that people can take actions in their own homes, and together reduce the impact of rising energy costs and wider international energy challenges.
Energy efficiency advice within the campaign is provided by experts at the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI). It is practical and evidenced-based, detailing what actions can help to save the most money and energy. The advice targets four key areas:
Further tips and information will be available on the SEAI website.
The campaign will also highlight the range of government financial supports for households and businesses. The government has been especially proactive in this regard, introducing a suite of targeted and universal supports that is among the most comprehensive across all EU Member States.
These supports include:
The Irish Government campaign comes on the back of the International Energy Agency’s (IEA’s) and the European Commission’s push to promote a range of simple steps that people can take to reduce their energy use and save money. If these steps were adopted by all EU citizens the institutions say it would save enough oil to fill 120 super tankers and enough natural gas to heat almost 20 million homes. In addition, individual Member States have also launched cost and energy-saving campaigns.
The Government of Ireland campaign also supports advice in the latest IPCC report on climate change (published 4 April 2022), which estimates that energy efficiency can lead to reductions in emissions of between 40% and 70% by 2050 and that reducing energy use has always been an integral part of the global climate action plan.
The Irish 'Reduce Your Use' campaign will emphasise how Government, households, motorists, communities and businesses can all work together to overcome the immediate energy affordability challenges.
In addition to government departments, state energy agencies such as the Commission for the Regulation of Utilities (CRU), SEAI, Eirgrid, ESB Networks, Gas Networks Ireland (GNI) and others are partnering in this campaign, and will provide information about the specific supports and advice they can provide.
Information on government supports and how to save money and energy is available at gov.ie/ReduceYourUse The hashtag for this campaign is #ReduceYourUse
The government launched a new National Energy Security Framework on 13 April 2022. It provides an overarching and comprehensive response to Ireland’s energy security needs in the context of the war in Ukraine.
The Framework coordinates work on energy security across the oil, gas and electricity sectors, and sets out a 'whole-of-government' response to energy security including a key focus on energy affordability.
The Framework sets out the government’s action in response to these issues under key headings: