Teleworking: a solution to the energy crisis?

Faced with the current rise in energy costs, the use of teleworking is strongly encouraged by the government. But the generalization of the Home Office Is it really an effective solution in the context of an energy crisis? WAYDEN answers.

 

The energy crisis: causes and context

The energy crisis refers to the shortage of energy which has existed globally since 2021. Indeed, following the accelerated recovery of the economy after Covid-19 health crisis, we have seen a sudden increase in energy demand, which has generated a gradual increase in the prices of raw materials (gas, oil and coal).

This energy crisis has intensified following the war in Ukraine and the disruption of gas supplies from Russia (the world’s largest natural gas producer) to several European countries (Poland, Bulgaria, Finland, the Netherlands, Denmark, etc.).

According to the International Energy Agency, this is the first global energy crisis. Between December 2020 and December 2021, the import price of energy in the euro area more than doubled, representing an unprecedented increase (according to data from the Council of the European Union).

In France, this shortage is also explained by a high unavailability rate of nuclear power plants, following the shutdown of 32 out of 56 reactors in 2022 for maintenance and control reasons.

Currently, in France, the markets are setting a gas price for 2023 that is 5 times higher than in 2021.

 

How can teleworking respond to the challenges of the energy crisis?

Teleworking has become highly democratized during the Covid-19 pandemic and during the successive lockdowns. In January 2021, 27% of employees practiced it, according to Dares, compared to 4% in 2019.

In the face of rising energy costs, teleworking can be seen as a promising solution to reduce energy-related expenses.

In October 2022, the government had proposed a list of measures to reduce the risk of gas and electricity cuts during the winter. One of the recommendations was the increased use of telework. More recently, in April 2023, the Ministry of Energy Transition asked companies to place teleworking at the heart of their social dialogue in order to act to energy sobriety in companies.

The implementation of working from home makes it possible to reduce daily travel and reduce energy consumption in professional premises (lighting, heating, electricity, etc.).

According to a study by Ademe (Agency for the Environment and Energy Management) and the IFPEB (French Institute for Building Performance), the use of teleworking would however have only a minimal impact on energy consumption in companies when only some employees work from home. However, when all the employees are absent and the site is closed, it would generate Overall savings ranging from 20 to 30%.

However, it must be borne in mind that these operating costs are simply transferred to the teleworker’s home and that they increase de facto its energy bill. The increase in work points linked to the generalization of teleworking thus generates a rebound effect. However, if we are to believe the Ademe study, these repercussions remain “Very small scale”, with an average of 1.4 kWh per day teleworking (for a usual daily consumption of 20 to 40 kWh). In addition, the reduction in travel generated by working from home would also make it possible to make between 20 and 40 kWh of savings in transport.

→ To learn more about the subject, read our article: “How to set up teleworking? Our 5 tips”.