Deloitte study: Era of energy efficiency emerging

Both companies and households continue to heighten their focus on decreasing energy consumption -- and related energy costs, according to the new "reSources 2011" study conducted by Deloitte in partnership with The Harrison Group.

The survey, which considered the opinions of 3,200 household decision-makers and 400 business decision-makers, found that 52 percent of companies are seeking to cut their energy costs by 25 percent on average during the next two to three years. Close to 70 percent of households, meanwhile, are doing more to reduce their energy consumption. Both actions are very obviously tied to the recession, Deloitte notes.

However, 95 percent of the consumers who were concerned about energy consumption said they would continue to manage it more carefully as the economic climate turns around. Likewise, 90 percent of the businesses have new goals for electricity and energy management. They don't plan to drop these policies as revenue improves, they see them as an operational advantage.

In a press release discussing the survey, Greg Aliff, vice chairman and U.S. energy & resources leader for Deloitte LLP, said:

"Clearly, our study indicates that a domestic energy roadmap is emerging and it is coming from an increasingly motivated and aggressive commercial base that sees being resourceful with energy as being good for business. When it comes to smarter energy decisions, our study leads us to surmise that chief executives are listening intently to their management teams, not to mention their customers and their children."

So, while cutting electricity costs started out as a cost-cutting measure, these policies are likely to persist even in a good economy. How refreshing.

This post was originally published on Smartplanet.com