According to a new report out by the United States Energy Information Agency (EIA), the country is becoming much more conscious of making energy-smart decisions. The report looked at how much electricity was consumed by the population over the course of 2013, and compared it to previous years. The agency is also looking to the future, all the way to 2040, to see how America can keep itself on the right energy efficiency track. The EIA is stressing that by consuming less energy, the United States will be less dependent on foreign sources to keep the country up and running.

For the third consecutive year, American electricity consumption fell. It has been on a steady decline for the last few decades, according to the report. In the 1950s use was at 9.8 percent, 4.7 percent in the 1970s, 2.4 percent in the 1990s and .7 percent in 2000. Americans are using much less electricity than we once were, which is positive for both the environment and monthly utility bills. Individual citizens are increasingly aware of how their actions have a direct impact on the environment, and what they can do to lessen the negative effects. New technologies and laws are more and more common, working to save people money.

The newest law, which took effect on January 1st of this year, was the banning of all 40 and 60 watt incandescent light bulbs, a bill that was signed by President George W. Bush in 2007. It is now illegal for bulb manufacturers to produce anything other than LED and CFL lights, which consume far less energy than traditional bulbs.

Improve your own home energy efficiency with the help of Alban Inspections. We have a line of LED bulbs, and can perform a home energy audit to determine where you can be saving money.