Experts from the Energy Agency: slow down by 10 km/h and work from home. Will the fuel crisis change habits?
publication
2026-03-28 06:00
In the wake of the largest-ever oil supply disruption caused by conflict in the Middle East, the International Energy Agency has presented a set of recommendations that governments, businesses and citizens can implement immediately to mitigate the effects of rising oil prices. The main recommendations include promoting remote work, lowering speed limits on expressways and increasing the use of public transport.
The International Energy Agency (IEA) is a global advisory and analytical body, founded in response to the 1973 oil crisis. Currently, it brings together 32 member countries (including Poland) and 13 associated countries. Its main mission is to ensure global energy security. The agency monitors fuel markets, coordinates the release of strategic reserves and sets standards for energy policy in the world, which from time to time is faced with the challenge of new shocks.
The cycle of fuel crises
As the history of energy markets shows, energy security is threatened by a cycle of shocks, each of which forced painful changes in the world. The first crisis in 1973 (after the Yom Kippur War), caused by the Arab embargo, forced Western countries to introduce drastic savings.and, such as speed limits or fuel cards. Another shock in 1979, related to the revolution in Iran, pushed the world towards new sources of raw materials (Alaska, North Sea) and technologies such as nuclear energy in France or wind turbines.
Although Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in 1990 brought only a short-term price spike, but recent history added an unprecedented chapter in 2020 – during the COVID-19 pandemicwhen oil prices fell below zero for the first time in history due to a sudden lack of demand. The current crisis of 2026 according to the head of the International Energy Agency, it is “the greatest threat to global energy security ever observed“.
Recommendations for effective reduction of fuel demand according to the IEA
Therefore, the Agency presented an immediate action plan.
The Sheltering from Oil Shocks report proposes ten practical and quick-to-implement demand-side actions. These tools focus mainly on road transport, which accounts for about 45% of global oil demand, but also include aviation, industrial and cooking fuels.
How to reduce the demand for fuel according to the IEA?
- Remote work (3 days a week): For people whose nature of work allows it, switching to a home office for 3 days can reduce individual fuel consumption by about 20%.
- Lowering speed limits: Reducing speed on highways by at least 10 km/h allows the driver to save between 5% and 10% of fuel.
- Public transport promotion: Switching from cars to buses and trains and popularizing micromobility (cycling, walking) can reduce domestic fuel consumption of cars by 1-3%.
- Alternate entry into cities: The rotation system (e.g. entry on selected days based on the parity of license plates) in large agglomerations allows reducing traffic jams and fuel consumption by 1-5% nationwide.
- Ride sharing and eco-driving: Carpooling (increasing the number of passengers in the car) combined with smooth driving and taking care of tire pressure can bring savings of 5-8%.
- Logistics optimization: Improving the loading of delivery vehicles and reducing “empty runs” could reduce demand for diesel in heavy transport by 3-5%.
- Air travel restriction: Cancellation of some business flights (replacing them with online meetings) may reduce demand for aviation fuel by 7-15%.
- LPG redirection from transport: In regions where LPG is crucial for cooking (e.g. Asia), it is recommended to temporarily switch dual-fuel vehicles to petrol to secure household supplies.
- Transition to modern cooking: Promoting electric and induction cookers helps reduce dependence on scarce LPG gas.
- Flexibility in industry: Petrochemical plants should use available infrastructure to convert LPG into alternative raw materials (e.g. kerosene) and optimize equipment maintenance.
The recommendations are a direct response to armed conflict in the Middle Eastas a result of which the flow of tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, which normally handled approximately 20 million barrels of oil and fuel per day (representing 20% of global consumption), was almost completely suspended. This situation resulted in a sharp increase in oil prices above $100 per barrel and a drastic increase in the prices of finished products such as diesel oil, aviation fuel and LPG.
A plan to wait out the fuel crisis
The authors note that although the demand-side measures described in the report are unable to cope with the scale of supply disruptions, they can play a significant role in reducing costs for consumers, reducing pressure on markets and preserving essential fuels until normal flows resume.
The agency advises that governments can lead by example through public sector action, regulation and targeted incentives, while ensuring support for consumers was appropriately spread over time and focused on those most in need. Experience from previous crises shows that well-targeted support mechanisms are more effective and financially sustainable than broad-based subsidies.
Global oil markets are facing a historic supply disruption amid the war in the Middle East, pushing up prices for consumers.
Our new report sets out 10 immediate demand-side options to help governments, businesses & households ease the economic impacts → https://t.co/1XZIgeA2BG pic.twitter.com/vwcrjRUmvK
— International Energy Agency (@IEA) March 20, 2026
Although the governments of countries associated in the IEA have already undertaken historic decision to release as much as 400 million barrels of oil from emergency reserves, these supply-side actions alone have proven to be insufficiente in relation to the scale of the crisis. According to the IEA, meeting and reducing demand is now a necessary, immediate tool to reduce the impact of the crisis on the wallets of ordinary consumers.
