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Multiple Benefits of Energy Efficiency
As energy efficiency continues to gain attention as a key resource for economic and social development across all economies, understanding its real value is increasingly important. The multiple benefits approach seeks to expand the perspective of energy efficiency beyond the traditional measure of energy savings by identifying and measuring its impacts in full bloom.
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Multiple Benefits of Energy Efficiency for Business
Energy efficiency is often described as the “first fuel” because the cheapest and most secure energy is the energy that is not used. For businesses, this begins with a straightforward benefit: lower energy bills. In many cases, efficiency investments can pay back quickly through reduced energy costs alone. However, the value of energy efficiency extends beyond energy savings.This report builds on the IEA’s work on the multiple benefits of energy efficiency and focusses on how these gains materialise in businesses. Key benefits range from productivity and product quality improvements to brand image or health benefits for employees and…
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Energy savings
Multiple benefits of Energy Efficiency 2025 Energy efficiency provides multiple benefits. This page explores energy savings. Why is energy efficiency important for energy savings? Energy efficiency measures reduce the amount of energy required to fuel and grow our economies. In economies where energy demand is set to grow significantly, efficiency also helps improve people’s lives by increasing access to additional energy services. Key facts In the last two decades, efficiency measures have generated over 27 EJ of energy savings in IEA countries alone, equivalent to 20% of total energy demand.The industry (including manufacturing) and services (including commercial buildings) sectors…
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Energy security
Multiple benefits of Energy Efficiency 2025 Energy efficiency provides multiple benefits. This page explores energy security. Why is energy efficiency important for energy security? Energy efficiency can help mitigate energy security risks by reducing the reliance on fossil fuel imports, improving grid reliability, and acting as a buffer to supply shocks. Key facts Efficiency gains from the last two decades avoided the need for 20% more fossil fuel imports in IEA countries. Energy efficiency and demand response can support grid reliability by reducing peak demand. For instance, more efficient air conditioners in India could lower the impact of heatwaves on…
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Affordability
…provides multiple benefits. This page explores affordability. Why is energy efficiency important for affordability? Energy efficiency measures can reduce energy bills for households, decrease energy poverty, and make access to energy services more affordable. Key facts Energy efficiency measures can reduce average household energy bills in advanced economies by up to one-third. In emerging economies, they can also improve access to energy services. For many products, such as refrigerators, highly efficient models use less than half of the energy of inefficient models. A best-in-class model can save up to 40% in total lifetime cost (purchase and energy…
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Competitiveness
…shown to lead to improved product quality and consistency, contributing to brand reputation.Improved resource use, such as reduced equipment downtime and unplanned shutdowns, lower maintenance costs, and potentially reduced staff requirements for operation and monitoring. Efficiency has also been shown to increase worker health and safety, reducing the incidence of work-related accidents and health insurance costs.Reduced waste production, such as less use of materials and process water.Combined, these multiple benefits can more than double the benefits of energy cost savings. Need more information? IEA (2025), Gaining an Edge: The Role of Energy Efficiency in Enhancing Competitiveness.
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Grid investments
Multiple benefits of Energy Efficiency 2025 Energy efficiency provides multiple benefits. This page explores grid investments. Why is energy efficiency important for grid investments? As we enter the Age of Electricity, global electricity demand is rising rapidly – and so is the demand for the expansion of electricity grids. Energy efficiency can help close the gap between supply and demand, but often at a lower cost, and more quickly, than new generation and grid expansion. Key facts On average, energy efficiency costs less than half the amount it would cost to build new generation capacity and grid infrastructure, per unit of…
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Emission reductions
Multiple benefits of Energy Efficiency 2025 Energy efficiency provides multiple benefits. This page explores emission reductions. Why is energy efficiency important for emission reductions? Energy efficiency can reduce emissions of greenhouse gases and air pollutants and make the energy system more sustainable. Key facts Since 2010, efficiency measures avoided energy-related carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions equivalent to nearly 20% of the global total in 2023. This is more than the entire energy-related emissions of India and the European Union combined. Accelerating efficiency improvements could deliver a third of all energy-related CO₂ emission reductions between now and 2030 in…
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Jobs
Multiple benefits of Energy Efficiency 2025 Energy efficiency provides multiple benefits. This page explores jobs. Why is energy efficiency important for jobs? Investment in energy efficiency creates jobs in a wide range of occupations and geographic locations. Key facts Around 10 million people work in energy efficiency-related jobs globally, representing nearly 15% of all energy-related jobs. Studies indicate that energy efficiency creates between 4 and 22 jobs per USD 1 million invested, depending on economic structure and energy efficiency measure. By lowering energy spending, energy efficiency also helps foster business growth and competitiveness. Energy efficiency offers a wide array of job opportunities…
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Asset values
Multiple benefits of Energy Efficiency 2025 Energy efficiency provides multiple benefits. This page explores asset values. Why is energy efficiency important for asset values? Energy efficiency can increase the value of assets, such as homes, buildings or equipment, and lead to lower vacancy rates and longer equipment lifespans. Key facts Energy efficient buildings can command a premium on sale and rental price in both the residential and commercial sectors. Studies show that sale price premiums for energy efficient buildings range from 3% to 15% in residential buildings and 13 to 20% in commercial buildings. Key analysis Studies show that individuals…
