Mohammad Rashidi, a member of Parliament’s presiding board, said one of Iran’s most pressing energy challenges is the gap between production and consumption, particularly during peak electricity and natural gas demand periods.

Rashidi pointed to successful public initiatives such as the “Energy Pulse” campaign, saying they demonstrate that part of the country’s energy imbalance can be managed through public engagement without imposing significant costs on the government.

“If these models continue on a sustained basis with effective implementation mechanisms, they can secure a place in national development plans, strategic policy documents and annual budgets,” he said. “Energy management is no longer a temporary measure; it must become a national strategy.”

He stressed that industrial sectors remain the backbone of the economy and that ensuring a reliable energy supply for productive industries should be a priority. According to Rashidi, any initiative that reduces consumption in non-productive sectors and makes more energy available to manufacturers deserves support.

Rashidi also highlighted the limitations of policies focused solely on raising energy prices, arguing that pricing mechanisms alone cannot resolve consumption challenges. He said incentives, public awareness campaigns and support for upgrading equipment often produce more sustainable results.

The lawmaker identified the modernization of outdated household and industrial equipment as one of the country’s most significant opportunities for reducing energy consumption. He said providing suitable financing and incentives for replacing inefficient equipment could substantially reduce the existing energy imbalance.

Rashidi added that increasing the financial benefits of energy savings for households and producers would strengthen public participation and help the country achieve efficiency goals at a lower cost.