Soaring home-heating bills may force return to the office as no plan to increase work-from-home allowances in Budget

Traffic volumes naturally increase with the return of schools, although the increase this week has not been as high as expected. Photo: Stock image

Caroline O'Doherty

Fear of rising home energy bills could lead remote workers to swap the discomfort of cold for the misery of congestion.

As the back-to-school rise in traffic volume kicks in, there are concerns that attempts to reduce car journeys and create quieter, cleaner, safer commuting may be thwarted by the energy crisis.