Second report on the Energy Committee’s survey
What ways of saving energy are most popular in Truro? The Energy Committee asked our fellow citizens to complete a mailed (and on-line) questionnaire a couple of years ago, and got 215 filled-out responses.
Here is the 2nd group of answers to some of the 34 questions. If you missed Part 1, you can find it here.
Some cost-free ways Truro folks save energy
Here are some results on the popularity of things we can do that cost nothing but reduce our energy bills and carbon footprints, from the survey of Truro householders.
Get a free energy audit for your house from Cape Light Compact. A great way to find out what needs to be done in order to save money for you and to cut down the greenhouse gases for which you are responsible. However, it looks as if not many of us know about it. More than 6 out of every 10 respondents never had an energy audit, only 9% had an audit conducted recently, and 3% scheduled an audit at the time of the survey.
Many of us use a lot more hot water than we need to. Here are some ways to change habits and save:
Wash clothes in cold water. Consumer Reports says it gets them just as clean unless they’re really greasy, but one of every nine Truro residents never does it, and only 17% always use cold. A third said they usually do, but the largest group reported only occasionally washing clothes this way (39%).
Reduce the temperature of your hot water tank. There’s no point in having to mix hot and cold water to avoid scalding yourself; just set the temperature at the heater to 120°. Almost half of those surveyed say they do that, and only 15% reported higher settings. More than a third didn’t know; so if you are not sure, check and make sure you are not wasting heat this way.
Take short hot showers. A long, hot shower—what a luxury! It should be, not an everyday indulgence. Only 6% of Truro respondents say they stay in for 10 minutes or more; the rest are fairly evenly split between 5 to 10 minutes and 5 minutes or less. Another way to save both water and the fuel to heat it is to take gentle, not roaring or stinging showers.
Wash full loads of dishes and clothes. A widely followed no-brainer: More than half Truronians always do; add in those who say "Yes," "usually," and the total is 95%! Still, it would help if the one percent who confess never washing full loads would join the majority.
Clean filters of A/C and heating systems. Manufacturers' recommendation is at least once a year, and nearly half of us follow it. “Occasionally,” said one in five, and only one in nine admitted “Never.”
Keep condenser coils of your refrigerator clean. How often do they get brushed? Alas, the most popular response (41%) was "Never", followed by "Occasionally" (29%). One fifth checked "Always", and 6% "Usually". The thicker the coat of dust insulation on those coils, the more electricity the fridge must use. They are out of sight, so it’s hard to remember to check; but it pays.
Watch for more findings in future eNewsletters.
Thanks to Bob Holt for constructing and tabulating this survey.