“Show us how! Offer us tips!” say key market segments.
On Friday, the Daily Insight touched on the goodwill available to utilities that manage the expectations of energy savings.
Today we’ll discuss the dissatisfaction of homeowners who have made improvements but haven’t seen the savings they expected.
Often the lack of savings is the result of the homeowner’s own bad behavior.
For example, we regularly hear consumers complain in focus groups that they bought an ENERGY STAR refrigerator – but then hooked up their old fridge in the garage. They were surprised to see no reduction in their energy bills.
Our Utility Pulse™ ’13 study shows that most respondents are turning off lights when no one is in the room, but 40 percent aren’t setting their thermostats to energy-saving levels, half aren’t unplugging small appliances or chargers when not in use, and 70 percent haven’t changed their water heater settings.
To actually realize savings on the energy-efficient products they buy, consumers need to be shown how to modify their behaviors, from programming thermostats and turning off lights to unplugging extra appliances.
The market segments most eager to learn how to cut their energy bills are Concerned Parents (31 percent of the market) and True Believers (24 percent).
Both groups believe that energy conservation is important and are likely to respond if their power companies offer training.
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