Recommendation 27

The best way to reduce the UK’s future exposure to volatility in the price of oil is to reduce oil consumption. The rapid growth in electric car sales is encouraging, but it will take many years to replace petrol and diesel vehicles. More must be done to improve the energy efficiency of our transport system and reduce its contribution to climate change in the meantime. The International Energy Agency and other bodies have identified a range of demand side measures that the Government could use to cut oil use, make public transport more affordable and reduce transport emissions. We recommend that the Department for Transport consult on measures, such as those listed in the IEA’s ten-point plan, that it could introduce in the UK to improve energy security, reduce oil demand and cut climate-changing emissions from transport.