While class has been dismissed for the summer, Lennox, a renowned manufacturer of innovative home comfort products, put homeowners to the test one more time before the official start of summer, and found that while most would pass when it comes to energy efficiency know-how, many may want to hit the books to learn more about how to save money on energy bills and stay cool this summer.
Lennox Home Energy Report Card Survey
The Lennox Home Energy Report Card Survey, commissioned by Lennox International and conducted by GfK Roper, asked about how people use and conserve energy at home and what they’re willing to do to save money on summer bills.
The survey found that homeowners have mixed reactions when receiving a high summer energy bill
The survey found that homeowners have mixed reactions when receiving a high summer energy bill. In fact, close to one-third (31 percent) of homeowners would turn up or off the thermostat, while another 28 percent said they would search for unused appliances to unplug. Others start turning off lights or research ways to save energy.
Getting a Gold Star in energy efficiency practices
Homeowners gave themselves above-average marks in energy conservation. When asked to grade their household on how well they conserve energy at home, nearly two-thirds of homeowners rate themselves above average with an ‘A’ or ‘B’ letter grade (62 percent).
Fifteen percent of homeowners gave themselves an ‘A,’ (a 6 percent decrease from 2017), 47 percent gave their household a ‘B’ when grading their household energy efficiency, and 31 percent gave themselves a ‘C.’ Although a large majority (92 percent) have taken steps to conserve energy, it’s clear that a number of homeowners see the opportunity for increased efforts.
Taking steps to conserve energy in homes
More than 90 percent of homeowners are taking steps to conserve energy in their home. Fifty-five percent of homeowners are programming their thermostats to automatically adjust the temperature when they’re away, and 46 percent of homeowners bought new, more efficient air conditioning and heating systems.
“Most homeowners recognize that improving the energy efficiency of their household to save energy and reduce electricity bills doesn’t have to take a lot of time and effort,” said Lennox Energy Efficiency Expert, Brittani Youman.
Using low-energy consuming appliances
Brittani adds, “Fortunately, there are a few simple steps that can make a big impact on controlling costs, conserving energy, and beating the summer heat, starting with doing some basic things, like changing the air filter on your cooling system, using low-energy appliances and conserving by taking advantage of home automation.”
Changes in weather aren’t the only reason homeowners are motivated to crank up (or down) the A/C
While homeowners show that they are willing to take steps to conserve energy, they are not likely to sacrifice their comfort over savings. When asked how willing homeowners are to turn the thermostat up to save US$ 50 dollars a month on their utility bill, 37 percent would be willing to raise their thermostat three to six degrees, while 26 percent would not go any higher than one or two degrees.
Changes in weather aren’t the only reason homeowners are motivated to crank up (or down) the A/C. The survey found that 46 percent of homeowners will turn on their air conditioning system for the first time of the year in May or June, while 9 percent of homeowners run their A/C system year-round.
Conserving energy to lower power bills
When asked to name the family member who complains most about hot or cold temperatures, the female head of household was identified 52 percent of the time, while 26 percent chose the male head of household.
While many people proactively take positive actions toward lowering energy bills, some do earn a failing grade for doing more harm than good. Twenty-three percent of homeowners said they have turned off their cooling system completely during hot days or heating systems on extremely cold days to conserve energy.
Regulating thermostat temperature settings
“While turning off your air conditioning system completely seems like an effective way to conserve energy during the summer, it is actually forcing the system to work overtime to get back to a comfortable temperature,” said Youman.
She further adds, “Doing so uses more energy and results in higher bills. Instead of turning off your system, we recommend lowering or raising the temperature of the thermostat or better yet, install a smart thermostat to do it for you.”
Lennox Energy Savings Superstar Contest
The grand prize winner will receive up to US$ 10,000 in energy efficient Lennox heating and air conditioning products
Luckily, homeowners have an opportunity to improve their grade by entering the Lennox Energy Savings Superstar Contest. Between July 1 and August 31, 2018, Lennox invites homeowners to go to their official website to submit a unique and innovative home energy savings tip, along with a fun photo depicting their suggested tip.
The grand prize winner will receive up to US$ 10,000 in energy efficient Lennox heating and air conditioning products, along with other ‘cool’ prizes to help them beat the heat this summer.
ENERGY STAR Manufacturing Partner of the Year
The results of the Lennox Home Energy Report Card survey are based on a telephone survey that was conducted by GfK Roper on behalf of Lennox Industries among 734 homeowners (ages 18 and over) within the U.S. during April 2018.
Lennox has been honored four times by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy as an ENERGY STAR Manufacturing Partner of the Year for its outstanding contribution to developing and promoting energy-efficient products.
