According to a telephone survey of 500 preformed by The Shelton Group in January 2009, consumers are more interested in saving money than they are in saving the planet. Are you surprised? See the responses to individual questions after the jump.
Survey: Consumers Want to Save Money Not the Planet
According to the survey, when participants were asked why they would consider buying energy-efficient products, 71% said they would do it to save money, 55% to save the environment, and 49% to protect the quality of life for future generations. With the economy as it is, the results aren't surprising, but in prior years, consumers actually said they were primarily interested in saving the environment.
After learning they would save money over the long term, consumers indicated they would likely invest in some of the following energy-efficient measures:
- 44% would buy a programmable thermostat;
- 43% would install insulation in their homes; and
- 42% would install a high-efficiency water heater.
With regard to green actions or behaviors, consumers are doing some of the following:
- 73% turn off lights, unplug things, turn off power strips;
- 71% adjust thermostat/hot water setting to save energy;
- 57% replace incandescent lights with CFLs;
- 57% buy Energy Star appliances and equipment; and
- 52% complete energy-efficient home renovations.
Are these results surprising with the current economic climate?
The Shelton Group Survey (PDF!) via Jetson Green.
Photo via Tinycomb.com
Comments (3)
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I'm not surprised. Honestly, saving money is my main motivation, too. Saving the planet is just an extra incentive/perk. I mean, sure, I'm not really saving money by recycling. But energy efficient light bulbs, "reduce and reuse"... money is definitely a factor.
view jyw's profile
No, I'm not surprised at all. I'm the same way. If being earth-friendly is going to be substantially more expensive, than I'm less apt to hop up to its idea. I like being green because it's a lifestyle change; sometimes, it just means pulling the cloth bags out of their tote where they sit with the rest of my purses and using them for weekly groceries. That doesn't cost anything. Other times, it just means buying different things that cost pretty much the same amount of money as the non-green stuff.
Green is being aware that there are other options than the way you have been living and implementing those which you see as doable into your life. If it takes a substantial amount of money to do so, then sometimes I feel like someone's using "green" as a gimmick to make me feel guilty.
view Kate The Great's profile
boy we all want to save now in this economy .So many of us out of work we go for the lowest price. But we all have to pitch in help each other and that mean no plastic bags, bottles cut back or stop paper towels , just a few things that would make a huge difference.No yard to grow? Got a pot a little sun .. a nice salad garden is easy. Don't give up ask around for ideas.
Maj
view majeral512's profile