Which phrase logically completes the passage below?
Answer:A commercial bakery recently replaced its gas-powered ovens with high-efficiency electric ovens that consume 30 percent less energy per batch of goods. Although electricity costs more per unit of energy than natural gas does in this region, the bakery's total monthly expenditure on oven energy decreased immediately after the replacement. Assuming energy prices and production volume remained constant, this financial outcome indicates that 【the reduction in energy consumption was large enough to offset the higher unit cost of electricity】.
Answer
the reduction in energy consumption was large enough to offset the higher unit cost of electricity
Total energy spending is determined by multiplying total energy consumed by the price per unit of energy. The passage states that the per-unit price of electricity is higher than that of gas, yet overall spending decreased. The only logical explanation for total spending falling under a higher unit rate is that the 30 percent reduction in energy consumption was large enough to outweigh the higher unit cost of electricity.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Completing the Passage Logically
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