Survey Shows Rising Awareness and Confusion About Energy and Renewables

While more consumers are becoming knowledgeable about renewable energy, one-third erroneously think cars and trucks are the number one cause of global warming, according to a new survey. Only 4% cited the actual primary culprit of greenhouse emissions: coal-fired electric plants

The Shelton Group’s fourth annual Energy Pulse study, asked questions to determine how consumers think their electricity is generated.

While answers generally reflected regional reality (nuclear is more dominant in the Northeast, for example, while hydroelectric is more prevalent in the West), the No. 1 answer was "don’t know" (34%), with people in the South responding with a higher degree of inaccuracy (23% citing "hydro" and only 19% citing "coal-fired plants"). While only 3% of electricity in the South comes from hydro a greater percentage–53% to 63%–comes from burning coal. (Source: EIA 2007 Electrify Generation by Source by Region)

Fewer consumers in 2008 than in 2007 accurately responded when asked, "How is most electricity generated nationally?" with 30% citing "burning coal," as opposed to 33% in 2007. And again, 31% said "don’t know" to this question.

On the other hand, knowledge continues to rise about renewable energy. In 2005, only 20% of consumers could name one source of renewable energy unaided. In 2007, 48% could, and in 2008, accurate responses rose to 59%. Recall of wind again increased, from 36% in 2007 to 43% in 2008, edging out solar by 2%.

When it comes to saving energy dollars in the home, consumers were relatively accurate about the top ways that most homes can curb energy use. When asked which activities or purchases would result in the greatest reduction in their energy bill, respondents’ top three answers included:

1. Install energy-efficient windows (15.5%)
2. Install a higher efficiency heating or cooling system (14%) and
3. Change habits at home to save energy (14%). 

However, they do not prioritize based on short-term return on investment. For example, ENERGY STAR® reports that replacing single pane windows could save 19%, but likely costs thousands of dollars. On the other hand, installing a programmable thermostat could save 10% and costs on average $59.

The Energy Pulse 2008  survey was fielded to 504 respondents by telephone in September 2008 and has a +/- 4.37% margin of error, based on the total number of U.S. households.