Ali Rabbani, the National Petrochemical Company (NPC)’s
director for energy consumption optimization, said the scale of participation
reflects growing public trust in a grassroots national movement focused on
energy management and consumption awareness.
“The campaign’s crossing of the 430,000-member threshold demonstrates
the formation of a successful public-participation model in the field of energy
management,” Rabbani said during a ceremony honoring students, teachers and
school administrators involved in the initiative.
The event also included the unveiling of an M&V software platform
designed to support gas-consumption optimization efforts, according to state
media reports.
The “Pulse of Energy” initiative has become part of a broader strategy
by Iranian authorities to address rising domestic consumption through
behavioral and cultural reforms rather than relying solely on technical
restrictions or supply controls.
Rabbani emphasized the need to distinguish between three separate
concepts: proper energy use, optimization and austerity.
According to the official, “proper consumption” primarily involves
behavioral adjustments that require little or no financial cost, such as
switching off unused lights, properly regulating heating systems, servicing
equipment on time and avoiding unnecessary use of cooling or heating devices.
He argued that public messaging around energy management has sometimes
incorrectly suggested that lower consumption necessarily means reduced living
standards.
“The campaign seeks to show that consumption can be managed without
lowering household welfare,” Rabbani said.
By contrast, he described “optimization” as a more advanced stage
involving technical upgrades and efficiency improvements, including replacing
outdated heating systems with high-efficiency equipment or modernizing building
infrastructure.
Only after such measures are exhausted does the concept of “saving” or
rationing become relevant, he added.
Iranian authorities have increasingly promoted energy-efficiency
initiatives as the country grapples with seasonal gas shortages and growing
competition between household demand and industrial consumption.
Rabbani warned that excessive residential and commercial energy use
can directly affect fuel supplies for petrochemical complexes and other
industrial facilities, with broader consequences for exports, employment and
economic growth.
“The petrochemical industry consumes a limited share of the country’s
gas, yet it plays a major role in value creation, employment and national
revenue generation,” he said.
He added that any disruption to feedstock or fuel supplies for
petrochemical plants can reduce industrial output and affect the wider economy,
including exports and administration revenues.
The campaign has placed particular emphasis on schools and youth
engagement, with officials portraying students as potential long-term drivers
of cultural change.
Rabbani said one student in the northern province of Mazandaran
recruited more than 100 people into the campaign by actively contacting
relatives and community members, an example he said demonstrated the mobilizing
potential of younger generations.
The initiative is being implemented in cooperation with the Ministry
of Education of Iran and the National Petrochemical Company of Iran, with
authorities seeking to integrate energy-awareness programs into schools
nationwide.
Officials say schools with the highest participation rates may receive
energy-efficiency equipment and related support as incentives for involvement.
Rabbani also stressed that Iran’s status as one of the world’s largest
holders and producers of natural gas should, in principle, allow the country
not only to meet domestic demand but also to strengthen its position in global
energy exports.
Achieving that objective, he said, would require long-term reform of
consumption patterns and greater public awareness regarding efficient use of
resources.
At the conclusion of the event, 670 students received cash prizes
equivalent to one million tomans each, while 81 teachers were awarded two
million tomans for participation in the campaign, organizers said.