Although residential electricity consumption is increasing, a national survey finds Americans blame their utility or their inefficient home for their rising energy bills rather than putting the blame on themselves for using more power.
The survey, conducted by Knoxville-based Shelton Group, polled 1,003 U.S. consumers. It found that Americans are more likely to blame an inefficient home – 25% think their homes are inefficient – or utilities (18%), and not their own demand for energy (12%). In addition, the study discovered many of those who have changed habits or made energy efficient improvements say their utility bills have remained the same or gone up.
“We’re seeing an unfortunate consumer tendency to avoid responsibility for wasting energy. Instead, more people are blaming outside forces over which they feel they have little or no control,” says Suzanne Shelton, CEO of Shelton Group. “It’s a case of learned helplessness: People are giving up on conserving energy because they think there’s nothing they can do.”
The national poll, Shelton’s eighth annual Energy Pulse survey, found 80% of Americans think they are using the same or less amount of energy than in the past. However, Shelton Group says that government statistics show residential electricity consumption has actually increased.