'low-consumption' originates from Modern English, specifically the combination of 'low' (from Old Norse 'lágr', where 'lágr' meant 'not high') and 'consumption' (from Latin 'consumptio', where 'con-' meant 'together' and 'sumere' meant 'to take').

'consumption' changed from Latin 'consumptio' to Old French 'consomption' and Middle English forms such as 'consumpcion'/'consumption', eventually becoming the modern English 'consumption'. The compound 'low-consumption' was formed in modern English by combining 'low' + 'consumption' to describe small amounts of use.

Initially, 'consumption' meant 'the act of consuming or using up'; over time it broadened to mean 'use of goods or resources' and historically also referred to the disease 'consumption' (tuberculosis). The compound 'low-consumption' evolved to specifically mean 'using little resources'.