You would think, intuitively, that energy efficiency is good — it saves us money and is good for the environment. But sometimes things are not as you would intuitively think they are, right? Some have claimed that energy efficiency is one such thing, that energy savings created from greater energy efficiency are offset by resulting increases in demand that cause more energy to be used in the end….
While people may increase usage some after switching to a more energy-efficient technology, research has shown that they don’t do so nearly enough to considerably offset the energy savings. Thus, these people do end up decreasing energy usage, not increasing it.
In other words: energy efficiency is good.
More: Is Energy Efficiency Really Good? (A Look at the “Rebound Effect”)
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