November 7, 2007, Toronto, ON – In preparation for the blustery winter months, a recent Ipsos Reid poll conducted on behalf of Icynene reveals that many Canadians are taking various steps to reduce their energy consumption to keep their heating bills in check. In light of the fact that almost all (97%) Canadians agree that reducing energy use at home is important in order to save money, Canadians who have not yet taken these steps to increase their energy efficiency are beginning to seal air leaks (52%) within their homes, turn down the heat (31%), add insulation (20%), or installing a high-efficiency healing and cooling system (19%).
- Residents of Atlantic Canada (66%) and Saskatchewan and Manitoba (63%) are the most likely to claim that they will seal air leaks before the winter arrives. British Columbians are the least likely (41%) to say that they will be sealing air leaks before the winter season.
- Residents of Ontario are the most likely (34%) to suggest that they will turn down the heat in the winter. Albertans, however, are the least likely (26%) to claim that they will take this step.
- Atlantic Canadians are the most likely to say that they will add insulation before the winter (24%), while British Columbians are the least likely (15%).
- Interestingly, when shopping for insulation, Canadians are more likely to consider the product’s ‘R-Value Rating’ than its ability to seal air leaks.
- British Columbians are the most likely (33%), to claim that they will switch to a high efficiency heating system, while Quebecers (8%) are the least likely to claim that they will do this.
- Further, the results of the survey show that Canadians, on average, claim to have paid an average of $394 a month for heating and cooling last year, with one in ten (10%) Canadians paying over $1,000 a month for their heating and cooling.
- Quebecers claim to pay the most, paying an average of $504 a month, followed by Atlantic Canadians ($428/month) and British Columbians ($428/month). Residents of Saskatchewan and Manitoba, however, say they pay the least ($283/month).
Perhaps as a result of rising energy costs and growing concern over environmental issues, many Canadians appear to be taking steps to reduce their energy consumption going forward. However, there are some Canadians who do not claim to be making changes to their homes in order to increase energy efficiency and save on costs.
For example, six in ten (58%) Canadians have not switched to a high-efficiency heating system in the past two years and do not plan to do so for this coming winter. One half (50%) of Canadians have not added insulation over the past two years and do not plan on doing so for this upcoming winter. Furthermore, two in ten (19%) Canadians have not sealed air leaks and one in eight (12%) have not turned down the heat over the last two years, and do not intend to do so for the winter season.
Canadians Pay More For Energy Costs, Doing More To Conserve Energy.
In an identical poll conducted by Ipsos Reid in the United States, a comparison reveals that Canadians are paying considerably more for their heating and cooling costs than are Americans. While Canadians claim to spend an average of $394 CDN per month on home energy costs, Americans claim to spend only $250 USD a month in this regard.
Further comparisons among the Canadian and American data reveals that while a majority (52%) of Canadians who haven’t done so already intend to seal air leaks in their homes leading up to the winter, four in ten (41%) Americans say that they intend to seal air leaks before the winter arrives. Interestingly, nearly two in ten (17%) Americans say that they have not turned down the heat in their own homes in order to save energy, while only one in eight (12%) Canadians claim that they have not turned the heat down in their own homes and have no intentions of doing so.
These are some of the findings of an Ipsos Reid poll conducted on behalf of Icynene from April 19 to April 23, 2007. For the survey, a representative randomly selected sample of 1285 adult homeowners was interviewed online. With a sample of this size, the results are considered accurate to within � 2.7 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, of what they would have been had the entire adult population been polled. The margin of error will be larger within regions and for other sub-groupings of the survey population. These data were weighted to ensure that the sample’s regional and age/sex composition reflects that of the actual Canadian population according to Census data.
About Ipsos Reid
Ipsos Reid is Canada’s market intelligence leader, the country’s leading provider of public opinion research, and research partner for loyalty and forecasting and modelling insights. With operations in eight cities, Ipsos Reid employs more than 600 research professionals and support staff in Canada. The company has the biggest network of telephone call centres in the country, as well as the largest pre-recruited household and online panels. Ipsos Reid’s marketing research and public affairs practices offer the premier suite of research vehicles in Canada, all of which provide clients with actionable and relevant information. Staffed with seasoned research consultants with extensive industry-specific backgrounds, Ipsos Reid offers syndicated information or custom solutions across key sectors of the Canadian economy, including consumer packaged goods, financial services, automotive, retail, and technology & telecommunications. Ipsos Reid is an Ipsos company, a leading global survey-based market research group. To learn more, please visit www.ipsos.ca.
