DWELLING ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND HOME ENERGY CONSERVATION POLICIES: A WESTERN U.S. PERSPECTIVE

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the energy beliefs of western U.S. residents. Data from the Western Regional Project W‐159, ‘Consequences of Energy Conservation Policies for Western Region Households' were analysed. Using a sample of 5,471, respondents' beliefs about the energy efficiency of their current dwelling and actual energy saving features were compared. A significant Kendall correlation was found and these two measures were then used to divide the sample into two groups, respondents with energy efficient dwellings and respondents with energy inefficient dwellings. Chi‐square analyses yielded significant differences between the two subsamples' beliefs about the seriousness of the U.S. energy problem and whether to solve it by conserving energy or increasing production. The two sub‐samples' beliefs about a series of mandatory and incentive energy conservation policies were compared. For all policies except requiring home energy audits, significant differences were found between the two subsamples' beliefs. Overall, the incentive energy conservation policies were favoured over the mandatory policies. Sample respondents with energy efficient dwellings were more often opposed or strongly opposed to the incentive policies than were the respondents with energy inefficient dwellings.