he period between 1970-1977 energy consumption rose only one-half the rate of GNP. The decrease in consumption came about because of a nationwide campaign supported by every level of government. Americans believed it was their patriotic duty to conserve and free the country from dependence upon foreign oil. Although widespread efforts at energy conservation waned with the last energy crisis of 1979, public awareness of the need to improve energy efficiency lingered.
The energy conservation programs sponsored by public utilities as a response to the oil crisis took a variety of forms, including "free energy audits, water heater wraps, low-flow shower heads, cash rebates or low-interest financing for home weatherization, (and) cash prizes for the purchase of energy-efficient appliances" (Cicchetti and Sepetys, 1995, p. 32). However, the majority of utility companies were ill-prepared to meet the demand for meaningful conservation efforts. Instead of engaging in long-range planning, they resorted to piecemeal approaches that were unprofessionally
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