EU asks people to use less air conditioning, drive slower, and work from home to help reduce reliance on Russian energy

• The European Union is trying to unhook itself from Russian energy amid the war in Ukraine.
• The bloc published a new plan outlining steps on how citizens can consume less energy.

The European Union is asking people to use less air conditioning, drive slower, and work from home to help it reduce reliance on Russian energy amid the war in Ukraine.

In a nine-step plan published Thursday, entitled "Playing My Part," the International Energy Agency (IEA) and EU outlined different ways people could cut down on fossil-fuel consumption in their daily lives.

The suggested measures to save energy include:

• Using less heat in the winter and less air conditioning in the summer
• Driving slower on highways
• Flying less
• Taking more public transport
• Working from home

The measures would not only cut Europe's reliance on Russian energy but also help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, saving an average household around 450 euros ($485) per year, the IEA and EU said.

It would also save enough oil to fill 120 supertanker ships and enough natural gas to heat almost 20 million homes in the EU, they said.

"Most households are also experiencing higher energy bills because of the energy crisis exacerbated by the war," the EU and IEA said.

"Using less energy is not only an immediate way for Europeans to reduce their bills, it also supports Ukraine by reducing the need for Russian oil and gas, thereby helping to reduce the revenue streams funding the invasion," they added.

Western countries, especially in Europe, have been desperately trying to pull themselves away from Russian energy imports since the start of the invasion on February 24.

In March, the EU pledged to become independent from Russian oil and gas by 2030.

The EU sends Russia around $450 million a day for oil and $400 million per day for natural gas, the Associated Press reported, citing analysts at the Bruegel think tank in Brussels.

One of Russia's biggest buyers is Germany, which purchases about 25% of its oil and 40% of its natural gas, per Reuters.