Everything from our heating systems to our toothbrushes is plugged in and connected to the internet, and smartphones are glued to the palms of our hands. Yet, Americans are using less electricity than we did 10 years ago.
Overall residential electricity sales have declined 3 percent from 2010 to 2016, and 7 percent on a per capita basis, according to data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Our numerous gadgets are all getting more efficient, so they’re less of a drain on residential electric bills.
And our devices are also getting smaller.
Most TVs are now flat and require less energy to operate than the giant TVs of yore. TVs in general are also disappearing from American households, as Americans spend less time watching TV.