Iran Offers Cash to Households That Cut Gas Use as War Damage Threatens a Winter Shortfall

Iran is asking its people to burn less gas this winter and is offering to pay them for it. Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf on Sunday called for a nationwide effort to cut natural gas consumption by at least 10%, saying it was essential to get through the coming cold season.

In a video carried by Iranian media, Ghalibaf said any household that saves gas, however small the amount, would immediately receive the value of those savings in its bank account. The idea, he said, is to let families see the effect of conservation directly in their household budgets.

He did not set out how the payments would be calculated, how they would be funded, or when the scheme would start.

Why a gas giant is short of gas

Iran sits on some of the world's largest natural gas reserves, yet shortages are a familiar winter problem. Demand jumps when heating systems switch on, and temperatures in the north of the country often fall below freezing. This year the problem is worse. Tehran says that during the most intense phase of the war with the United States and Israel, which began in February and lasted nearly 40 days at full intensity, strikes hit key energy infrastructure, including natural gas refineries.

Earlier this month, First Vice-President Mohammad Reza Aref put a number on the damage. According to the official IRNA news agency, he said the government expects a daily gas shortfall of 100 million to 250 million cubic metres during the cold season because of the war. He said he hoped to restore around 100 million cubic metres of daily supply before winter begins. Even if that target is met, a large gap would remain at the upper end of the estimate.

Paying people instead of rationing them

The cash offer is a notable shift in tone. Rather than relying only on appeals or forced cuts, the government is trying a direct financial reward for using less. The design matters because Iran's domestic energy prices are heavily subsidised, which gives households little reason to save. A payment for each unit saved works like a price signal without the political risk of raising tariffs in the middle of an economic crisis.

The open questions are practical ones:

• Measuring savings: The state would need a baseline for each home, likely past meter readings, to know what counts as a saving.
• Funding: The budget is already under pressure from the war and from US sanctions.
• Scale: A 10% cut in household demand helps, but may not close a gap as large as officials describe.

A wider economic squeeze

The appeal comes as pressure on Iran's economy keeps building. An April ceasefire ended the first phase of heavy bombardment, but the two sides are still contesting control of the Strait of Hormuz, which used to carry about a fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas. Iran has claimed control of the waterway and targeted ships that cross without its permission. Washington has answered with a blockade of Iranian ports and, in August, launched what it called an economic asphyxiation campaign.

For the rest of the world, a squeeze on Iran's home gas supply matters mainly as another sign of how badly the conflict has damaged Gulf energy infrastructure. For Iranians, the test will come over the next few months, as the weather turns cold.

This is an original summary based on public reporting. See our editorial policy for how we source, write, and correct our stories.