In an effort to up our family’s home movie game, we invested in a used projector and pull-down screen. The projector has definitely made watching movies and sports more satisfying. Our family is not alone in adding new electronic gadgets and gizmos to our lives. Today most Americans have devices that a generation ago only yacht-owners owned. Three generations ago, the stuff we have today was the subject of science fiction.

In the face of this rising tide of electronic gadgets, I find it staggering that the average U.S. household is actually using less energy than it was just a generation ago. According to data compiled in the Energy Information Administration and analyzed by Frontier Group, the average American household used over a quarter less energy in 2020 than it did in 1993.

These energy savings, which deliver significant environmental and consumer benefits to all of us, didn’t just happen. They occurred because our leaders consciously put in place policies that reduce energy waste. Today, we have rules and programs that ensure that energy-saving technological progress finds its way into the products we all buy. Smart public policy — from appliance efficiency standards to financial incentives for efficient equipment — have helped every household in America save energy.

Here is how America’s household energy efficiency success story breaks down:

A more efficient future

Energy efficiency standards have played a key role in reducing our homes’ energy use. These standards, updated periodically as technology improves, hold the potential to reduce home energy use even more. But, efficiency standards must remain in place for these savings to become a reality.

Unfortunately these policies that have benefited us all are under attack. This month, the U.S. House of Representatives passed bills to dismantle efficiency standards for manufactured homes and shower-heads and more attacks are likely to follow. You can urge your member of Congress to stand up for energy efficiency by taking action here.

Keeping these policies in place will help make sure that future gadgets and appliances you bring into your home in the future make your life better, rather than needlessly increasing pollution and wasting energy.

Johanna Neumann of Amherst has spent the past two decades working to protect our air, water and open spaces, defend consumers in the marketplace and advance a more sustainable economy and democratic society. She can be reached at [email protected].