> Things like lightbulbs and TVs and computers and refrigerators are using less power than ever before.

Are they, though?

Lightbulbs, sure, we won with LEDs.

But TVs, especially the huge, high brightness ones we have nowadays? And with the extra computing needed?

Computers, same, I only see power usage going up. I mean PCs, we're not comparing things with mainframes here :-)

Refrigerators: are they really more efficient?

Now add: heat pump, induction stove, electric oven, more powerful AC, humidifiers/dehumidifiers, etc.

Compared to the age of CRTs, modern TVs are much more power efficient.

And compared to the age of the Pentium 4 with its 100W+ TDP, laptops now outsell desktop computers by a long way.

(I would agree that things like high-end gaming GPUs are using more power than ever before - but they're also a much smaller % of sales than ever before)

> Compared to the age of CRTs, modern TVs are much more power efficient.

According to the internet a CRT TV used to use about 100W, while a big LCD TV can use more.

Regarding desktops, don't forget that these days we have many more electronic device in a home. Smart speakers, home media devices, consoles, etc, etc. Electronics probably use, in aggregate 5-10x what the old family PC used to use, I'd imagine.

A 32” Sony trinitron would pull down about 200W. An 85” LCD will pull down about 150W.

Though in the CRT days 19" was the most common size (large did exist). I'm not sure what the most common size TV is today, but it is bigger than that.

The CRT TVs back in the 70s and 80s were pigs. Not 150W, more like 300W and sometimes more. It would take some work to make a modern LCD with similar consumption. Even when plasma was all the rage, it wasn't that bad.

Gaming PCs are actually getting close to the safe limits for low voltage.