I never understood that trope in the shows technobabble. Technically they have anti-matter reactors that produce so much power its unfathomable in todays world. Technically the replicator is a energy->matter machine… And the fuel for all these things comes from these crystals that they can detect from onboard scanners. Would it not then be plentiful enough to not require rationing? I can see the odd time when they run low on fuel, but constantly? really?