The Iran war is bringing energy supply instability into reality. As the government prepares various measures to respond to the crisis, experts point out that energy conservation is the core strategy for protecting economic and national security. Here we introduce why energy conservation is important and what methods can be practiced in daily life.
Mr. A, a man in his 20s who works at a public institution in Ulsan Innovation City, has been commuting by company shuttle bus instead of his own car since March, when the Iran war began in earnest. Last month, commuting a round-trip distance of 40 km by shuttle bus for 20 days, he saved about 63 liters of gasoline and about 126,000 won in fuel costs. If 100 employees used the shuttle bus like Mr. A, they could save 76,000 liters of gasoline (about 152 million won) per year.
Since the Iran war began, voices calling for strengthened energy conservation in the transportation (mobility) sector have grown louder. This is because the transportation sector, including vehicles, has a 94% dependence on petroleum products such as gasoline and diesel as energy sources, making it the most vulnerable to oil price fluctuations.
According to the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment on the 20th, the final energy consumption of the domestic transportation sector in January this year was approximately 3 million tons of oil equivalent (toe), a 22.4% increase from the same month of the previous year. By year, consumption has shown a somewhat declining trend after peaking in 2021, but it still shows high consumption levels. A ministry official said, "Within transportation, the road sector accounts for 97% of consumption, overwhelmingly higher than rail or shipping, so reducing vehicle use is the most effective energy-saving method."
The most widely known method is using public transportation. The International Energy Agency (IEA) has stated that switching from private cars to public transportation such as buses and railways can reduce daily fuel consumption by 1-3%.
Operating passenger cars on a rotating day-of-the-week system also has a significant saving effect. According to the Korea Energy Economics Institute, if the private sector voluntarily implements a 5-day rotation system for passenger cars, it can reduce monthly petroleum consumption by 100,000 to 186,000 barrels, and a 2-day rotation system for public institutions can reduce it by approximately 259,000 barrels.
Eco-friendly driving is also a way to save fuel. By practicing the following: △maintaining proper tire pressure △reducing idling △lowering maximum speed — fuel can be reduced by up to 25.8%. The IEA estimates that simply lowering the maximum highway speed by 10% can save 5-10% of fuel.
In addition, △making walking a habit for distances within 3 km and △expanding bicycle use are energy-saving methods proposed by the government. If just 1% of domestic passenger car drivers participate in walking 3 km every day, about 325 barrels of petroleum use can be saved per day. A ministry official emphasized, "3 km is a distance you can walk in about 5,000 steps or more. In times of high oil prices like these, it is the most recommendable energy-saving method that allows you to save energy and take care of your health at the same time."
