As gasoline prices jump yet again, for perhaps the tenth time this year, many people are planning to reduce driving. There may be a few who will toy with the idea of trading in their Hummer for a less gas-hungry vehicle. Family budgets get tighter as the cost of living increases from taxes, repayments of mortgages or loans, home energy bills, and vehicle maintenance and usage. Somehow, society accepts these costs without serious consideration of their source.

Many still hold to the belief that a double income will put them on the path to the middle-class dream of success and wealth. Large homes found in the suburbs use more light, heat and air conditioning; every family now has at least two cars for distant jobs and home use. These commitments consume the bulk of our discretionary income as well as our precious free time. 

But isn’t energy conservation about ‘doing without’ and giving up on the North American middle-class dream? Or being content with a Spartan life, even if it means near poverty? Yes and no. Yes to giving up things which are wasteful and inefficient; no to lifestyle quality compromises.

So how can electrical loads and heating needs be reduced for energy conservation without giving up the things we want? Efficiency is the answer. We’ll borrow from today’s corporate downsizing mantra: "Do more with less."

What is Energy Efficiency and will it affect my Lifestyle?

A politician asks his audience to play a role in energy conservation by having five-minute showers. But this misdirected effort will not be sustained: people mostly participate in energy or resource conservation during pressing moments of recession, harsh famine, national disaster or war, but their actions are not permanent. When things return to normal, people revert to old habits. They switch back because their preferred quality of life was disrupted. 

In this case, it would be better to enjoy a ten-minute shower with a low-flow shower head because t here is no compromise on your quality of life. It might even be enhanced as many shower head models offer a massage feature. When energy or water consumption is reduced by half or more, this simple but cheap device can put money back in your pocket. That’s why we prefer the economic approach – “doing more with less”.

Take up a sustainable lifestyle that is energy-efficient. It may seem better to use cheap stuff but the reverse is also true: a lot of savings are lost with energy "leakage". A simple switch from traditional incandescent bulbs to using high-efficiency compact fluorescent lights could give you whopping savings of more than $2,300 a year, after taxes. Those in the 35% tax bracket will often enjoy savings exceeding $3,100. Besides this, there are plenty of tips which can offer you substantial energy savings as well as financial savings. The extra funds can go towards your retirement plan.

Those who want an off-grid home for an energy-efficient lifestyle have good news from the U.S. Department of Energy: their statistics show that every dollar spent on energy efficiency saves you between $3 and