THEhe war in Iran with the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz could only present the bill, which is called energy lockdown. The sense of normality of crowded offices, city lights always on and the relief of air conditioning in fact, it seems destined to clash with a more austere reality which could radically change the daily habits of citizens starting from next May.
Energy lockdown increasingly likely, when
The main cause, of course, lies in international geopolitical tensions, particularly regarding safety of maritime passages in the Strait of Hormuza focal point for global gas and oil trade. National energy reserves, in fact, are not considered sufficient to guarantee total serenity in the long term, and this is pushing the executive to study an emergency plan which recalls, in some ways, the restrictions experienced during the pandemic crisis, albeit with different objectives and methods.
Gas and rationing
The the first critical front concerns natural gas. Although Italian warehouses are currently filled to around 44% of their capacity, a figure higher than the European average, the main fear concerns the slowdown in supply flows expected in the coming weeks. To avoid completely emptying the stocksThe Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security is developing a plan to contain consumption.
What do we risk at home
Such measures could concern, going into summer, limited use of air conditioners with the obligation to raise the temperature by one degree or by reducing the daily switching time by one hour. Then going towards winter, through a similar intervention on the radiatorswith the obligation to lower the heating by one degree. According to technical estimates, these small individual sacrifices they would allow us to save a huge amount of gasquantifiable between 75 and 80 billion cubic meters at a national level.
The blockade of trade routes and global instability are pushing the country towards a new austerity. (Getty Images)
Transport with alternating license plates and soft lights in the city
The savings will not stop within the home but will extend to public spaces and mobility. Among the most discussed hypotheses is the return of alternate license platesa system that limits the circulation of private vehicles to alternate days based on the last digit of the license plate, even or odd, with the aim of reducing fuel consumption. At the same time, cities could also change their face at night. It is hypothesized, in fact, a drastic reduction in lighting for monuments, public buildings and streetsin addition to the early shutdown of commercial signs.
The new face of work: smart working as a shield
Speaking of work, the industrial sector, especially the so-called “energy-intensive” one, i.e. companies that consume large quantities of energy, such as steel mills and mechanical industries, could undergo a remodulation of work shifts to avoid peaks in consumption. Furthermore, a fundamental pillar of this austerity plan will be smart workingor “agile” or remote working. The idea is to extend this modality both in the public and private sectors, following the model already tested during the 2020-2022 health emergency.
Less travel, less consumption
Working from home, in fact, not only means reducing travel and therefore petrol consumption, but also allows large companies and public administration offices to to keep lights and air conditioning systems off in offices. Currently, around 17% of public employees already use this form of work, but the numbers could grow rapidly. However, they would remain protected essential sectors such as schools and healthcarewhere the objective is to avoid a return to distance learning and not to interrupt medical services.
The energy lockdown is a collective challenge
The situation is really compressed at the moment and presents difficult choicesboth domestically and internationally. The Minister of Defense underlined how the margins for maneuver are limited and how cohesion is necessary not only nationally, but also at European Union level. The current energy crisis, defined as unprecedentedrequires leaner bureaucracy and close collaboration between the various Member States for the management of resources. Meanwhile, as Parliament prepares to debate the details of this plan, the question of excise duties remains open on fuelsthe reduction of which will expire soon. Without an extension, the cost of supplies could skyrocket further. The “energy lockdown”, therefore, it must be considered as a collective challenge which will require adaptability and some sacrifices to face a summer and autumn which, at the moment, promise to be decidedly complex.
