Energy conservation is the effort to use less energy. It can be accomplished through behavioral changes and through the development and use of more energy-efficient technologies.
Energy conservation can play an important role in protecting the environment, particularly by decreasing emissions of carbon dioxide and other harmful substances that result from the burning of fossil fuels and by reducing the pressure to construct more nuclear power plants.
One of the most important ways in which energy conservation can be promoted is by the pricing of energy so that it reflects the true costs to society (i.e., the social costs), including the damage to the environment and to public health, of energy use. Even in many developed countries such costs are still largely or entirely ignored, and in many developing countries energy prices are actually subsidized, often for political reasons.
Another important way to conserve energy is through the development of more energy-efficient technologies. Tremendous progress has been, and continues to be, made on such technological advance, largely as a result of deliberate government policies, including through the use of regulations and subsidies. A major example is more energy-efficient automobiles, aircraft and other transportation vehicles. Another is with regard to home electric appliances. Improved building codes and construction techniques, including better insulation and the use of double (or triple) pane windows, have also been making heating and cooling in homes and other buildings more energy efficient.
Public policy can also promote energy conservation by encouraging the development of denser urban areas and discouraging sprawl. This can reduce travel distances and facilitate walking and transit use instead of automobile travel. It can also allow more efficient utility systems by reducing transmission distances and thus transmission losses, and it can make possible economies of scale by combining utilities, such as into community-wide heating systems and community-wide air conditioning systems.