McKinsey might think that new standards and loan guarantees are the way get better energy efficiency.

Bah. What about just wearing more climate-appropriate clothes?

The EU’s energy commissioner Andris Piebalgs (not pictured right) is all over the idea on his blog:

Many experts consider that the most efficient way of saving heating or cooling is simply reduce or increase by 1º the temperature that of our thermostats. One degree variation could lead to up to 10% energy savings. And however, it is not so unusual to find people that sleep with a blanket in the middle of the summer because they keep the air conditioning too high. Equally, you see some people in the middle of the winter walking around their apartments with a simple t-shirt. Maybe the right choice of clothes together with a wiser use of the heating and cooling systems may have a positive impact on their comfort and also on their energy bills.

As Piebalgs notes, the idea is not without precedent. As Japan recoiled from the oil shock of 1973, one measure it took (along with mandating strict efficiency rules for businesses) was to introduce the ‘energy conservation look’.