anticipated that the impact of shortages and costs weigh most heavily on them. We assumed that income was basic to our analysis, and it was. We could identify the extremes—those who could buy only necessities such as heat and light, and those who could afford luxuries such as central air conditioning and an outdoor gas light burning night and day.

The study provides two kinds of results: first, descriptions of what is true about energy consumption in households; and second, a basis for answering some key policy questions. Some of those questions are: (1) What role can households play in using energy more efficiently or in conserving it? (2) What role can other agencies—for instance, utilities, regulatory commissions, business, and government—play in helping households make more efficient use of energy? (3) What might the probable impact be of policies to conserve or allocate an energy source, or to improve air quality, on households of different kinds?

The book begins with a bit of history, showing how quickly we have become an energy devouring people (Chapter One). We follow with an investigative reporter's portrayal of how six households of widely different kinds have come to use energy as they do today (Chapter Two). Chapters Three and Four then present the basic background information—what uses most energy in homes and in transportation. These chapters analyze the implications of this and of recent trends in homebuilding and car production as well. The next two chapters get to the heart of household energy use: the amount and cost of the energy households consume and the air pollution effects for major income groups, emphasizing especially the difference between the poor, the almost poor and the better off (Chapters Five and Six). Chapter Seven describes the energy situation of black households at varying economic levels, compared with whites at similar levels. In conclusion (Chapter Eight) we outline a few suggested energy policies for public discussion. These proposals are based on information in the previous chapters, and their object is to suggest ways to increase the efficiency of household energy use and thus help reduce rising consumption while improving the equity of energy distribution and costs among households. We think the proposals could also contribute to the growth and stability of the nation's economy and improve the American level of living.