Energy Agency Suggests Remote Work, Less Travel to Combat Rising Fuel Costs

The International Energy Agency has released recommendations for governments and consumers to help offset surging energy prices caused by the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran. The suggestions include working remotely, reducing highway speeds, and limiting air travel when possible.

PARIS, March 20 – Following a historic release of emergency oil reserves earlier this month, the International Energy Agency has now issued recommendations for combating rising fuel costs triggered by the ongoing U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran.

The conflict has sent energy prices soaring globally, raising inflation concerns worldwide and prompting the agency to seek additional ways to help consumers manage the financial strain.

On Friday, the IEA presented a series of measures that governments, companies, and individual households can implement to mitigate the impact of climbing energy costs on consumers.

Among the agency’s recommendations are encouraging remote work arrangements, lowering highway speed limits by a minimum of 10 kilometers per hour, and choosing alternative transportation methods over air travel when feasible.

IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol emphasized the organization’s ongoing efforts in a statement: “We have recently launched the largest ever release of IEA emergency oil stocks – and I am in close contact with key governments around the world, including major energy producers and consumers, as part of our international energy diplomacy.”

Birol further explained the purpose of the new guidelines: “In addition to this, today’s report provides a menu of immediate and concrete measures that can be taken on the demand side by governments, businesses and households to shelter consumers from the impacts of this crisis.”

Earlier this month on March 11, the IEA authorized the release of a historic 400 million barrels of oil from emergency reserves to address the dramatic increase in worldwide crude oil prices, with the United States providing the majority of the released supply.