That’s according to CNET Money’s most recent survey, which found 57% of US adults don’t know how to make their home energy efficient, think upgrades are too costly or believe it won’t help them save money.
That’s three big barriers to adoption in a world where our energy costs continue to rise faster than inflation. The latest CPI report from the Bureau of Labor and Statistics shows electricity costs are up 4.4% over the last 12 months while inflation is up 3% in the same time frame.
We asked a few energy experts for their reaction to what this survey uncovered and they found it tracks with their experience in the field.
Very few people have good visibility into how much energy they’re using at home, and how they might reduce it, said Rebecca Foster, chief executive at VEIC, a nonprofit that helps administer energy efficiency programs across the country.
“We don’t have good answers to those questions,” she said, referring to monthly utility bills that don’t break down which appliances, for example, are driving energy use. That makes it hard to prioritize upgrades that will have the biggest impact.
