Jalil Mokhtar said the committee and the Energy Imbalance Resolution Headquarters have held intensive meetings to examine ways to secure winter fuel supplies and address damage to the gas distribution network.

Mokhtar said Mazandaran, Golestan and North Khorasan provinces could face gas pressure problems because of their geographical location and the configuration of the distribution network.

The National Iranian Gas Co. has deployed technical measures to address potential disruptions and coordinated with provincial authorities to arrange alternative fuel supplies, he said.

“Operational plans must be in place for every situation, from the worst-case scenarios to the most likely ones,” Mokhtar said, stressing that household consumption management is essential to maintaining network stability, particularly in areas at the ends of the distribution system.

Gas theft, illegal mining

Mokhtar warned that gas theft from transmission and distribution pipelines is worsening Iran’s energy imbalance, with many violations occurring in rural areas and on the outskirts of major cities, including Damavand and Firuzkuh.

Estimates indicate that at least 3% of the country’s total natural gas supply is lost to theft, much of it used to power generators for illegal cryptocurrency mining, he said.

Authorities recently discovered and seized 365 cryptocurrency mining machines in the Eshtehard area that were operating through unauthorized connections to the gas network and using two backup generators, Mokhtar said.

He described the operations as the unlawful appropriation of public resources and urged residents to report suspicious activity to the National Iranian Gas Co.’s 194 hotline. Authorities can take legal action and dismantle illegal operations under judicial orders, he said.

Millions of efficient heaters planned

Iran is also expanding programs to replace outdated gas-burning appliances with more efficient equipment.

Mokhtar said 171,000 high-efficiency heaters had been installed to replace older models, with schools and mosques given priority. The newer heaters provide better heating while consuming 466 cubic meters less gas annually than traditional models, according to figures cited by the lawmaker.

A resolution by Iran’s Economic Council has paved the way for the supply of 4.1 million standard heaters, he said. Domestic manufacturers have the capacity to deliver 150,000 units a month, with production capacity increasing significantly since September, he added.

Incentives for energy savings

Mokhtar said Iran is moving beyond awareness campaigns toward economic mechanisms designed to encourage energy conservation.

Under a system involving energy service companies known as operators, participating companies can receive energy-saving certificates in exchange for reducing consumption. The certificates are intended to create financial incentives for conserving gas and redirecting supplies from inefficient uses toward industries that generate greater economic value.

Mokhtar cited a price of 85,000 tomans per cubic meter of saved gas, saying the mechanism could help reduce household bills while improving national energy productivity.

He said the long-term success of public participation in gas conservation would depend on smart monitoring systems, information technology and data-driven governance that connect consumer behavior with new economic incentives.

Iran’s poor performance in energy efficiency highlights the scale of the challenge, he said. About 70% of household natural gas consumption goes toward space heating, according to Mokhtar.

Simple measures, including sealing gaps around windows and doors, installing double-glazed windows and setting boilers and heating systems to water temperatures of 55 to 60 degrees Celsius, could reduce consumption without significantly affecting comfort, he said.

Campaign targets 20 C

Mokhtar also announced a campaign promoting an indoor temperature of 20 degrees Celsius during the cold season.

Reducing indoor temperatures by just 1 degree Celsius during peak winter demand could save nearly 25 million cubic meters of natural gas a day nationwide, he said, citing technical estimates.

Such savings could help ensure adequate fuel supplies for power plants and industries while reducing the risk of pressure drops in colder regions, he said.