According to president.ir, Pezeshkian made the remarks Wednesday at a meeting of the National Water and Energy Consumption Management Headquarters. He praised the body’s initial work to collect and update consumption data and stressed that effective policymaking requires accurate, real-time, disaggregated and verifiable information.

He called for consumption data to be expanded to the provincial, county, city, government agency and individual consumer levels.

Pezeshkian also criticized the heavy use of drinking water by some government agencies, particularly in Tehran and water-stressed provinces, for irrigating green spaces. He ordered the national headquarters to hold urgent technical meetings with high-consumption agencies, assess their water use and issue measures to improve consumption patterns.

Government agencies will be required to comply with approved water and energy consumption guidelines, modify inefficient practices, use alternative sources for non-drinking purposes and improve resource efficiency. A continuous monitoring and evaluation system will also be established to oversee implementation.

Rather than imposing a single consumption benchmark on all provinces, Pezeshkian proposed a competitive and incentive-based system. Provinces that achieve greater reductions in consumption and improve efficiency while maintaining the quality of public services should be rewarded, supported and introduced as models for others, he said.

He said greater use of provincial management capacities and positive competition could motivate local officials while helping identify and replicate successful consumption-management practices.

Pezeshkian emphasized the importance of public participation, saying energy conservation policies must be implemented in a way that does not create public dissatisfaction.

He called for transparent, accurate and persuasive public communication about the country’s water and energy situation. If public awareness efforts and transparent data can encourage people to reduce energy consumption by just 10%, he said, the impact on managing energy imbalances and improving grid stability in the coming months, particularly during winter, could be significant.

Pezeshkian said people understand the importance of conservation under the country’s current circumstances and have responded responsibly whenever they have been asked to help reduce consumption. Energy-management policies, he said, should therefore be based on public trust, persuasion, transparency and social participation.

The president also cautioned that the rollout of smart meters should not undermine domestic manufacturers. He said imports could be used to address short-term needs while ensuring the continued operation and development of Iranian smart-meter producers.

He stressed that supporting domestic production, preserving the country’s technological and industrial capabilities, and ensuring the continued operation of local manufacturers must proceed alongside efforts to accelerate smart-meter deployment.

During the meeting, Mohammad-Jafar Qaem-Panah, the president’s executive deputy, presented a detailed breakdown of the latest data on water, electricity, natural gas, gasoline and diesel consumption across the country.

The report examined consumption trends and compared energy consumption and prices in Iran with those in other countries. It also assessed the economic consequences of low energy prices, inefficient consumption patterns, rising energy intensity, waste and fuel smuggling.

According to the report, the significant gap between energy prices in Iran and many other countries, combined with high consumption intensity, has created major imbalances and imposed substantial costs on public resources. A significant portion of energy subsidies, estimated at 6,000 trillion rials, is being lost through inefficient consumption, resource waste and fuel smuggling rather than being converted into economic value and public welfare.

Ministers and senior officials responsible for water and energy also presented updates on resources and reserves, production and consumption levels, energy balances, existing capacities and challenges facing the country.

The meeting also examined measures to ensure reliable water and energy supplies and manage consumption in the coming months, particularly in light of damage caused by the war and the need to strengthen the resilience of critical infrastructure.

The meeting was attended by the president’s executive deputy, ministers, deputies and senior officials from relevant government agencies and ministries.