Have you replaced all your old light bulbs yet? We’re supposed to be doing that, you know. Federal edicts decree that the tried-and-true incandescent bulbs that have been lighting the darkness for more than a century now will soon be banned. If you haven’t shopped for replacement bulbs lately and are in need, be ready for a little sticker shock. LED bulbs are now the name of the game, and the game isn’t nearly as cheap as it once was.

Gas furnaces are not real popular with the U.S. Energy Department these days either. You’re supposed to be putting electric ones on the top of your update list. The natural gas industry has taken a dim view of new regulations that will apparently make it significantly more expensive to buy and install furnaces and stoves that don’t run on electricity, despite the fact it seems that natural gas is cheaper.

There are also reports of a crackdown on using many current washing machines and dishwashers. There appears to be a lower and lower allowable use of energy and water in those appliances. Consumers, however, are complaining that their clothes and dishes aren’t getting clean with the new regulations. So, manufacturers have responded by lengthening the cycle times.

If you’ve looked at a new central air conditioning system lately, you’ll see the prices are on the rise. Those units used to only cost as much as a small sedan, but now may be approaching the manufacturer’s suggested sticker price on a large SUV. There’s also talk of banning some current air-conditioner models because they’re not quite as climate-friendly as regulators would like.

Water heaters are the latest home appliances to get targeted for a look-see. Reports indicate that the aforementioned Energy Department is proposing to “accelerate deployment” of electric heat pump water heaters. I’m pretty sure that includes putting into place new regulatory standards that would require more energy-efficient models to be sold in place of less efficient ones. More than likely, that would mean a greater upfront cost with the carrot of operational savings and curbed emissions over the long run.

So, what does all that new energy-efficiency mean to We the People? Here’s a hint: It has to do with your wallet. Yeah, be ready to pay more for, well, pretty much everything. Like your new electric car. But that’s another story.

Meanwhile, I’m wondering if we should all harken back to the way my grandmother saved energy. Many, many moons ago, I got to spend a week every summer with my Grandma Lewis all by myself. She lived in a small house in a small town in Indiana. I saw up close and personal how Grandma kept things simple.

First of all, she didn’t own a car. She walked anywhere around town she wanted to go. Her church was three blocks away, the grocery store was two blocks, her sisters lived about six streets over, and there was a park very close by. (Also, the local ice cream emporium – well, more like a walk-up storefront – was maybe a quarter mile up on Main Street.)

Monday was wash day. Grandma had a tub-style washer. But no dryer. She had a hand-cranked wringer for squeezing out the water once the clothes were cleaned. I got to help her turn the handle and watch the still-damp-but-not-dripping garments come through on the other side. To get everything completely dry, she simply hung linens and pretty much all she washed on her backyard clothesline. As far as I know, there were no government regulations as to how many pillowcases she could hang outside.

For cooling comfort during the heat of the day (and into the evening), she turned on a window fan and left the front door open. The screen door kept the bugs out and enticed outside breezes to flow into her living room. To really beat the heat, though, we just sat on her porch swing after dinner.

Grandma also washed all her dishes and pots and pans by hand. Dried them that way too. When I visited, I was her helpful sidekick. (At least, in my opinion I was.) She had time to teach me things like all the state capitals and the presidents in order while we were washing and drying dishes or sitting on her porch. Now, she did have a coal chute leading to the basement, but I didn’t have to mess with that.

I’m not suggesting we return to the lifestyle Grandma Lewis led (although I sure had a good time when I visited). But if the regulations continue apace, it does seem as if we may be headed in that direction.

©MMXXIII. William J. Lewis, III – Freelance Writer