Before COVID-19, did you or other members of your household use any strategies to reduce your energy use (including heat, electricity, water, etc.) (Q40 S+W 2020)

This chart reflects responses to Question #40 from the Spring 2020 and Winter 2020 surveys, which asks respondents, “Before COVID-19, did you or other members of your household use any strategies to reduce your energy use (including heat, electricity, water, etc.)” The pre-structured options available were, “try to use as much sunlight as possible to save on electric”, “trying not to use a dryer to save on electric”, “lowering water heater to save on gas”, “wearing more clothes / using more blankets to save on heating”, “taking shorter showers to save on water”, “recycling old appliances and purchasing new energy-efficient ones”, “switching to LED light bulbs”, “unplugging devices that are not being used”, “consulting educational material or taking classes/workshops on conservation”, “all of the above”, and “none of the above”. There was also a space for survey administrators to enter additional responses.

There were a total of 162 respondents to this question. Twenty-nine respondents (17.9%) reported none of the above. Fifty-six respondents (34.6%) reported using more sunlight to save on electricity. Fourteen respondents (8.6%) tried not to use a dryer to save on electricity. Nineteen respondents (11.7%) reported lowering their water heater to save on gas. Fifty-two respondents (32.1%) reported wearing more blankets or clothes to save money on heating. Thirty-five respondents (21.6%) reported taking shorter showers to save on water. Fourteen respondents (8.6) reported recycling old appliances to purchase new, energy efficient ones. Forty-nine respondents (30.2%) reported switching to LED lightbulbs. Seventy-eight respondents (48.1%) reported they unplugged devices not in use. Nine respondents (5.6%) reported that they consulted educational material or attending workshops. Thirty-nine respondents (24.1%) reported “other.”  

The data was produced by the Shifting Energy Demands in COVID-19 Survey, which has been administered to 169 people over two time periods. The Spring 2020 survey was administered to 86 people between May and June, and the Winter 2020 survey was administered to 83 people between December 2020 and March 2021. Visit the Shifting Energy Demands in COVID-19 - Spring + Winter 2020 Survey Results page to view more data from our survey. The project is approved by Drexel’s IRB.