While most people only think about electricity during black-outs, when bad weather causes an outage, or when the monthly electric bill arrives it is important to recognize that electricity (or energy) does not just come from nowhere. Many people do not every really think of this as electricity pours into our homes in a seemingly endless supply with no effort from us, but this is not the case. So, one benefit of energy conservation in the home is that your energy bill decreases and you have more money to spend on other things. Thus you actually improve the quality of your life rather than decrease it.

For those that do not pay a bill for electricity because they create it themselves, knowing how much energy they use is important. They don't waste power because they are conscious of how it is being created, and what that means to them. Thus, as you can see, that by thinking about the source of your electricity, and by not wasting it, you can maintain a high standard of living. Energy conservation does not mean use less energy, it means waste less energy.

Your house can be designed for energy efficiency. You can use leading edge technology for the appliances. You can have all the usual equipment: dishwasher, laundry, computers, entertainment system (sound, TV, DVD), plenty of lights, and even a shop full of power tools from air compressor to table saws, and you can run it all with an off-grid electrical system without problem. How? Simple, anyone can use solar and wind power etc for their energy needs, and live full lives with every convenience they want that requires electricity if they can learn to practice basic conservation. Too many people think that if you use solar or alternative energy sources you have to live with the lights off and only watch one hour of TV a day, but this is not true.

You could run your household using only three kilowatts a day. That is less than the daily draw of most refrigerators. How? Well, the cooling and heating systems are the major energy users for most homes. So, if you're building a new home, you can design for energy efficiency from the start and keep heating and cooling in mind. Situate the house on your lot to take advantage passive solar heat and utilize overhangs plus ventilation for cooling. If you have an existing home, you can remodel, or fit it for gas. Heating with electricity not gas is wasteful. Next, look at your appliances, when the ones you have come due for replacement, make the efficiency your top concern in choosing new appliances. While such appliances are generally more expensive initially, over time the reduced electric bill, and the environmental impact makes it worth it.

Energy conservation in the home can be achieved by small steps as well, and does not require you to remodel or purchase expensive appliances. You can start energy conservation in the home with simple things like purchasing compact fluorescent light bulbs. They give superior light using only 23 watts to a comparable incandescent 100 watt bulb. Conservation saves you money, adding to your life's quality, not detracting from it.