Energy conservation 

refers to efforts made to reduce energy consumption. Energy conservation can be

achieved through increased efficient energy use, in conjunction with decreased energy
consumption and/or reduced consumption from conventional energy sources.

Energy conservation can result in increased financial capital, environmental quality, national

security,personal security, and human comfort. Individuals and organizations that are direct consumers of
energy choose to conserve energy to reduce energy costs and promote economic security. Industrial and
commercial users can increase energy use efficiency to maximize profit.

Energy conservation policies

Electrical energy conservation is an important element of energy policy. Energy conservation reduces the
energy consumption and energy demand per capita and thus offsets some of the growth in energy supply
needed to keep up with population growth. This reduces the rise in energy costs, and can reduce the
need for new power plants, and energy imports. The reduced energy demand can provide more flexibility
in choosing the most preferred methods of energy production.

Climate change
By reducing emissions, energy conservation is an important part of lesseningclimate change. Energy
conservation facilitates the replacement of non-renewable resources with renewable energy. Energy
conservation is often the most economical solution to energy shortages, and is a more environmentally
being alternative to increased energy production.

Energy conservation in India

Petroleum Conservation Research Association (PCRA) www.pcra.org is an Indian government body
created in 1976 and engaged in promoting energy efficiency and conservation in every walk of life. In the
recent past PCRA has done mass media campaigns in television, radio & print media. An impact
assessment survey by a third party revealed that due to these mega campaigns by PCRA, overall
awareness level have gone up leading to saving of fossil fuels worth crores of rupees besides reducing
pollution.

Bureau of Energy Efficiency is an Indian governmental organization created in 2002 responsible for
promoting energy efficiency and conservation.

Issues with energy conservation

Advocates and critics of various forms and policies of energy conservation debate some issues, such
as:

 Standard economic theory suggests that technological improvements increase energy efficiency,

rather than reduce energy use. This is called the Jevons Paradox and it is said to occur in two ways.
Firstly, increased energy efficiency makes the use of energy relatively cheaper, thus encouraging
increased use. Secondly, increased energy efficiency leads to increased economic growth, which
pulls up energy use in the whole economy. This does not imply that increased fuel efficiency is
worthless, increased fuel efficiency enables greater production and a higher quality of life. However,
in order to reduce energy consumption, efficiency gains must be paired with a government
intervention that reduces demand (a green tax, cap and trade).[5][6]

 Some retailers argue that bright lighting stimulates purchasing. However, health studies have
demonstrated that headache, stress, blood pressure, fatigue and worker error all generally increase
with the common over-illumination present in many workplace and retail settings.[7][8] It has been
shown that natural daylighting increases productivity levels of workers, while reducing energy
consumption.[9]

 The use of telecommuting by major corporations is a significant opportunity to conserve energy,

as many Americans now work in service jobs that enable them to work from home instead of
commuting to work each day.[10]

 Electric motors consume more than 60% of all electrical energy generated and are responsible
for the loss of 10 to 20% of all electricity converted into mechanical energy.[11]

 Consumers are often poorly informed of the savings of energy efficient products. The research
one must put into conserving energy often is too time consuming and costly when there are cheaper
products and technology available using today's fossil fuels.[12] Some governments and NGOs are
attempting to reduce this complexity with ecolabels that make differences in energy efficiency easy to
research while shopping.

 Technology needs to be able to change behavioural patterns, it can do this by allowing energy
users, business and residential, to see graphically the impact their energy use can have in their
workplace or homes. Advance real-time energy metering is able to help "people" save energy by their
actions. Rather than become wasteful automatic energy saving technologies, real-time energy
monitors and meters such as the Energy Detective, Enigin Plc's Eniscope, Ecowizard, or solutions
like EDSA'a Paladin Live are examples of such solutions[13]
 In deregulated states commercial utility customers have the ability to compare energy
rates among available electricity and natural gas providers.