About
In 2009, the average American household spent more than $4,600 in home and vehicle energy costs. But if each U.S. household replaced just one incandescent light bulb with an ENERGY STAR compact fluorescent light bulb (CFL), in one year alone the CFL would save enough energy to light about 3 million homes — and almost $750 million on utility bills. That’s an incredible savings for consumers and it alleviates our nation’s energy burden. It’s Living Efficiently.
What is Living Efficiently?
A project of the Alliance to Save Energy, Living Efficiently puts the power of saving money and energy directly into the hands of consumers. The dynamic combination of developing smart energy habits and using energy efficient products and technologies allows us to multiply our impact on many things we care about:
- Ourselves and the energy prices we pay at the pump and in our homes
- Our family and our home’s comfort
- Our community and the air we breathe
- Our country and its economic well-being and energy security
- Our world and the one we leave behind
What Is Energy Efficiency?
Energy efficiency means doing more with less energy. No matter what type of energy we use, by implementing simple changes we can minimize the effect that energy use has on our wallets and our environment without altering our lifestyles — and maximize the interconnectedness of energy-related issues. For instance, did you know that the U.S. has only 3 percent of the world’s known oil reserves, accounts for 5 percent of the world’s population but consumes 25 percent of the world’s oil?
Energy efficiency today isn’t what you might remember. There’s no rationing gasoline at the pump or freezing in your own home to save a few dollars. Today’s energy efficiency uses technology to increase energy’s efficiency without sacrificing your comfort.
In your day-to-day life, energy efficiency might mean using a programmable thermostat to save on your heating and cooling costs at home; keeping your tires properly inflated to improve gas mileage on the road; or turning off all office equipment during non-business hours to use less energy in a more efficient way.
The ways to save are endless but no matter how you choose to incorporate energy efficiency into your family’s lifestyle, you’ll be making a difference.
What Will You Find Here?
Here at Living Efficiently, we show you just how easy it is to make energy efficiency a part of your everyday life. Get the latest news to keep up-to-date on the topic. Looking for ways to make your gas mileage last longer or what home improvements can help lower your bills? Check out our tips or read stories by people just like you and find out what creative ideas have worked for them — or submit your own! Find useful, energy efficient products or read up on our campaigns to see how you can become more involved.
Still want to learn more about energy efficiency? Check out the Alliance to Save Energy and our partners for the latest news and policy efforts.
Did You Know?
Energy efficiency affects our lives by many degrees.
Ourselves:
Using cruise control on the highway lets you cut down on fuel consumption by maintaining a steady speed.
Our Families:
Almost 90 percent of the energy used a washing machine is spent just heating the water. Wash clothing in colder water and you’ll be saving energy and money. Or try a front-loading washer, which uses about 60 percent less water than a top-loading machine.
Our Community:
Implementing energy-efficient construction in our communities helps save energy and creates green jobs.
Our States:
Wondering how your state’s air quality ranks for pollutants? Check out the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s interactive map to see the amount of air pollution in your area.
Our Country:
About 95 percent of the natural gas used in the U.S. today comes from North America. However, the U.S. holds only about 3 percent of its reserves. As consumption for this attractive energy source increases, we will increasingly become dependent on natural gas from overseas countries.
Our World:
Virtually every energy sources carries an environmental trade-off. Utilizing energy efficiently is the only way to ensure that we minimize our damage to the environment while keeping money in our pockets.
