|
One unspoken
but key assumption of those who foresee a return to economic normalcy --
which many seem to believe is already underway -- is that the behavioral
patterns that emerged in the wake of the worst financial crisis this century
would invariably be shed in favor of old (bad) habits.
But as has
often been the case since things first began to unravel, what the so-called
experts have said will (or won't) happen has proved to be little more than
wishful thinking. In reality, more and more people continue to look at
spending, borrowing, saving, and investing decisions in a much different
light than they would have five years ago.
In "Deloitte:
As Economy Rebounds, Energy Users Stick to Diet," for
example, we find that greater energy efficiency has become a growing focus --
perhaps even a mantra -- for individuals and businesses alike.
A new era of
energy frugality is taking hold in the United States - even as the economy
slowly recovers - according to a survey from the Deloitte Center for Energy
Solutions.
Businesses are
forging the way by targeting average reductions in energy consumption of
nearly 25 percent over a three- to four-year period. Consumers are also
doubling down on efficiency - 83 percent report that they took extra steps to
reduce their electric bill over the past year and 93 percent say they will
use the same amount of electricity or less in the future.
"The
recession is profoundly changing energy habits for both businesses and
consumers," said Greg Aliff, one of the
survey's authors and a vice chairman in the energy & resources sector at
Deloitte LLP. "Using less may be the new normal, from boardroom tables
to the kitchen tables."
Michael J. Panzner
|
