Everyone likes to save energy, right? You’re reducing your impact on the environment and saving money on utility bills at the same time – talk about a win-win scenario. However, despite the obvious benefits, the percentage of Americans who take energy efficiency steps in their lives is actually dropping, according to a recent poll. Read on to find out more.

Commitment to Energy-Saving Decisions

The survey, conducted by the Harris Poll, did contain some good news. A relatively high percentage of respondents take some actions to reduce their energy use – 75 percent of people, for example, said that they turn off lights and televisions when they aren't being used. That's a good first step. However, last year the number was 79 percent, and it reached as high as 82 percent in 2012. What gives?

One explanation is that money talks. Natural gas and oil prices have been relatively low in recent years, so people just might not be paying attention to every last megawatt.

"Even though understanding of energy sources remains at historical levels, in the last few years fewer consumers are taking steps to reduce energy consumption in their homes," Carol M. Gstalder, Reputation & Public Relations Practice Leader for Harris Poll, said in a press release. "As energy prices drop, so do consumers' commitment to energy-saving decisions from replacing light bulbs and water heaters to installing solar."

Lax Attention Across the Board

The Harris Poll laid out other areas where the survey found a reduction in consumer efficiency strategies:

Renewable Fuels Popular, Coal Not so Much

Taking another tack, Americans have some strong opinions about what types of fuels are best to keep feeding our energy addiction. Renewables are popular, with 78 and 75 percent of respondents saying that the benefits of solar and wind, respectively, outweigh the costs.

Getting the short end of the opinion stick were nuclear energy and coal. About 42 percent of respondents thought the risks outweighed the benefits for nuclear, with only 34 percent responding positively. And 46 percent of people gave a thumbs-down to coal, with 34 percent still in favor.

How You Can Do Better

If you want to uncover more ways to save energy in your home, have a home services technician conduct an energy audit to discover any waste and inefficiencies. You'll be in a knowledgeable minority: Only 11 percent of Americans have had an energy audit, the poll found.

That new electric car will surely save you money on gas and make you feel good about doing something good for the environment, but there are some things you must consider. Before you start planning that trip to Paris with all the money you save on gas, you need to figure out how you will keep the car charged. Without a charge, you will need to rely on gas, thus defeating the purpose of your electric car. This is why you need an electrician. Burbank electric car owners can call The Electric Connection for help.

When you purchased your car of if you are in the research phase and trying to figure out what car to buy, you probably heard about the charging stations. There are two main types. The slower charging stations are much less expensive while the others are faster and more expensive. Obviously, the less expensive station has a major benefit and it can be plugged in virtually anywhere. This makes it convenient to charge the car. However, the downside is the time it takes to give the car a full charge.

On the other hand, you have the initial investment of the faster charging system. But, in this case, the car will charge in about 8 hours versus the 16 to 24 hours it takes for the slower system. Because it is a much more powerful electric car charging station, you will need an electrician. Burbank residents will need a dedicated 240-volt outlet to plug the station into. An electrician will need to check the electric panel to make sure there is enough space to support the additional electrical needs. If you would like to learn more about the different electric car charging stations, give The Electric Connection a call. If you have already made the decision to purchase a fast charging station, we can install it for you.