A Regional Comparison Of Savings From Various Residential Energy Conservation Strategies

Author : Lynn E. Buck
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 280 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (857 download)

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Download or read book Comparison of Oregon Renters' and Non-renters' Home Energy Conservation Behavior, Belief about the U.S. Energy Problem, Belief about Their Home Energy Efficiency, and Belief about Four Energy Policy Directions written by Lynn E. Buck and published by . This book was released on 1981 with total page 280 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The purpose of the study was to address the three limitations of previous research as identified by the Western Region W-139 Technical Committee (1980). First, specific hypotheses were tested. Second, through hypotheses testing, understanding was gained of energy conservation behavior and energy problem perceptions. Third, the sample size was large enough to allow for detailed statistical analysis of the influence of housing tenure as outlined in the objectives of the W-159 Western Region Project. The Oregon data from the Western Regional Project W-159: "Consequences of Energy Conservation Policies for Western Region Households" were used. Data were collected in March 1981 by mail questionnaire from the stratified (50% rural/50% urban) random sample of 1503 Oregonians. The data base consisted of 812 responses, 118 from Oregon renters and 694 from nonrenters. Chi square statistical tests were used to test relationships between energy-related beliefs and home energy conservation behavior and between three belief requirements and actual behavior. The results of the chi square tests indicated: 1) renters and nonrenters both felt there is a serious energy problem, 2) renters significantly felt their homes to be less energy efficient and in need of more improvement than did nonrenters, 3) renters and nonrenters opposed requiring home thermostats for heating to be set no higher than 65°F in the winter, 4) renters more strongly favored while nonrenters more strongly opposed the requirement to set home thermostats for cooling no lower than 78°F in the summer, 5) renters and nonrenters favored providing larger tax credits for improving home energy efficiency, 6) renters and nonrenters significantly differed in their addition of structural energy-saving measures with nonrenters adding and renters not adding these measures, 7) renters and nonrenters did not significantly differ in their effort toward no-cost energy-saving measures; both renters and nonrenters did these efforts, 8) there were significant relationships between renters' and nonrenters' beliefs about the three policy requirements and their actual behavior. Understanding renters' energy beliefs and conservation behavior can benefit local and state government planners and housing officials, Oregon legislators, utility companies, educators, and researchers.