IEA Reveals 10-Point Plan to Ease Oil Costs Amid Middle East Supply Crisis – Here's the List

The International Energy Agency (IEA) has published a 10-point emergency plan telling governments, businesses, and households how to cut oil demand as the Middle East conflict chokes off one-fifth of global supply.

The report, titled 'Sheltering From Oil Shocks' and released on 20 March, arrives as crude oil prices have surged above $100 (£74.84) a barrel following the near-total closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Refined products like diesel, jet fuel, and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) are climbing even faster.

The IEA said all 10 measures can be put into action within weeks and could together reduce global oil demand by 2.7 million barrels per day.

A Crisis With No Modern Equal

The agency called the current disruption 'the largest supply disruption in the history of the global oil market.' Around 20 million barrels per day of crude and refined products normally pass through the Strait of Hormuz. Those flows have slowed to what the IEA described as 'a trickle', forcing Gulf producers to cut output by at least 10 million barrels per day as onshore storage fills up.

On 11 March, IEA member countries agreed to release 400 million barrels from emergency reserves, the largest stock draw in the agency's 52-year history. But Executive Director Fatih Birol said supply-side action alone won't close the gap, and governments now need to target demand.

The Full 10-Point Plan

Most of the IEA's recommendations target road transport, which accounts for roughly 45% of global oil demand. Here are all 10 measures from the report:

1. Work from home where possible. The IEA found that three additional remote work days per week could cut national car oil demand by 2% to 6%, with individual drivers saving up to 20%.
2. Reduce highway speed limits by at least 10 km/h. This alone could lower fuel use per driver by 5% to 10%.
3. Encourage public transport. Shifting travel from private cars to buses and trains could reduce national car oil use by 1% to 3%.
4. Alternate private car access to roads in large cities on different days, based on number plates.
5. Increase car sharing and adopt efficient driving practices, including tyre pressure checks and reduced idling.
6. Improve efficiency for freight vehicles and commercial deliveries through eco-driving techniques.
7. Shift LPG away from transport and towards essential uses like cooking and heating.
8. Avoid air travel where alternatives exist. The IEA said a 40% cut to business flights could lower global jet fuel demand by 7% to 15%.
9. Switch from gas or LPG cooking to electric alternatives where feasible.
10. Allow industry to shift to alternative feedstocks where LPG supplies are under pressure.

Why Social Media Is Drawing COVID Parallels

The plan has triggered fierce online backlash. Social media users compared the recommendations to COVID-19 lockdown restrictions. British Brief described the report as 'discreetly published' and framed it as a potential government playbook for restricting movement.

The backlash has real-world precedent. India has already invoked the Essential Commodities Act to redirect gas supplies away from industry and towards households after the Strait of Hormuz closure disrupted 90% of its LPG imports.

On 24 March, the Indian government gave urban households 90 days to switch from LPG cylinders to piped natural gas or lose supply. 'Lockdown in India' trended on social media, fuelled by energy rationing measures and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call for the country to remain 'prepared and united' as it did during COVID-19.

What This Means for Commuters and Small Businesses

If governments follow the IEA's playbook, commuters could face mandated remote work, lower speed limits, and alternating-day driving bans. Small businesses that depend on road freight and deliveries would absorb efficiency mandates and potential fuel rationing.

The IEA recommended that governments take the lead 'through regulations and mandates' rather than treat these steps as voluntary. Birol warned that without a swift resolution to the conflict, the effects on energy markets and the broader economy 'are set to become more and more severe.'