The Ukraine conflict and COVID-19 have intensified concerns about the well-known threats that climate change and our dependence on fossil fuels have on society’s present and future well-being. Few can doubt the importance of new technologies, systems, societal behaviours, and energy-saving policies to deal with this serious threat.

The turmoil in the energy markets in the last three years has compelled some governments to mitigate the effects of spiralling energy prices on families. In the short term, energy subsidies were introduced to avoid the risk of an economic recession and its inevitable impact on the most vulnerable in society. 

These measures are sustainable and effective if, as the IMF has repeatedly advised, they are targeted to protect vulnerable individuals while discouraging energy waste.

Labour backbench MP Paul Agius Galea made a refreshing and sobering contribution to the energy debate. While supporting the policy that helps people deal with energy price volatility, he warned “we have to be careful about the people’s mindset because the measure can backfire, and a waste of energy will affect us and future generations.”

It is time to combine long-term strategic energy-saving investment initiatives with short-term tactics to make people aware of the importance of saving energy. Schemes to encourage people to invest in more energy-efficient vehicles must be continued. But more needs to be done.

Some international energy studies confirm that between 20 and 40 per cent of energy consumption can be reduced in buildings through deep neural networking. 

In the electricity sector, artificial intelligence can automate power generation, distribution, and transmission operations, balance the grid without human intervention, enable lightning-speed trading and arbitrage decisions at scale, and eliminate the need for manual adjustments by end users.   

Admittedly, it will take some time to achieve these savings using systems driven by artificial intelligence. So, it is equally important to focus on measures that will convince people that energy-saving tactics pay off. 

Some tactics are relatively easy to adopt. Having reduced energy rates for households who use their laundry equipment at night would undoubtedly convince some to plan their chores to save energy and money. Consumers can also be encouraged to learn how to use their labour-saving and modern devices like water heaters, air conditioners, and white goods more efficiently. 

Policymakers must review energy-saving solutions focusing on the energy crisis, green alternatives to fossil fuel heating, and energy saving in buildings and transportation. Fiscal incentives will help consumers defray some initial costs of investing in energy-efficient systems like home insulation and high-performance double-pane energy star-rated windows.

It will be sad if taxpayers’ money spent on energy subsidy schemes leads to more complacency and a lack of awareness of the actual cost of wasting energy in the economic and environmental contexts. 

Politicians should follow the example of Agius Galea by speaking out on the risks of policies that unintentionally may encourage some to forget that saving energy is a duty of everyone.

The present energy subsidy schemes must be fine-tuned to discourage people from waste and convince them that energy saving pays off. Strategic investments in energy-efficient systems must be accelerated. 

Realistically, education campaigns on how to save energy may take a long time to show results. But they are the best way to change consumer behaviour in the long term.