What do you think makes your home energy inefficient? (Q25B, Cumulative)

This chart reflects responses to Question #25B from the Spring 2020 and Winter 2020 survey, which asked “What do you think makes your home energy inefficient?” This was a check-all-that-apply question, and there were 157 cumulative responses. The options for this question were as follows:

• I don't use energy saving light bulbs 

• My home does not use any renewable energy sources 

• My home is not well insulated 

• I don't practice conservation

• My windows are drafty 

• I have older-model appliances 

• My electrical wiring has not been updated 

• My stove emits gas when I use it

• My behaviors make my home energy inefficient 

• I don't know 

• Other 

The most commonly selected option was “My windows are drafty”, with 66 individuals selecting this, followed by “My home is not well insulated”, with 41 individuals selecting this. Thirty-two individuals selected “My home does not use any renewable energy sources”, 23 individuals selected “I don’t know”, 23 individuals selected “I have older-model appliance”, 22 individuals selected “My behaviors make my home energy inefficient”, 10 individuals selected “My electrical wiring has not been updated”, and 13 individuals selected “I don’t use energy saving light bulbs”. Six individuals chose “I don’t practice conservation”, and 11 individuals chose “My stove emits gas when I use it”. Twenty-five individuals selected “other”, with responses mentioned having an air conditioning unit, living in an old house,  ventilation problems in their home,having a faulty heater, having a large crawl space, having a dirt basement, and having many radiators throughout one’s home as sources of energy inefficiency. It’s important to note that many individuals selected multiple options for this question. 

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.