Homeowners Turning Down the Heat, Bundling Up Indoors to Cope with Rising Energy Costs, New Survey Reveals 

 

CHICAGO, January 25, 2006 – Americans this winter are coping with skyrocketing home heating bills by turning down the heat, closing off rooms and even wearing more clothes, according to a national homeowner survey commissioned by Emerson (NYSE: EMR), a leading manufacturer of cutting-edge technologies for the heating and cooling industries.

 

The prospect of continued high energy costs has nearly 60 percent of Americans considering more drastic lifestyle changes, the Emerson survey found, including spending less on non-essentials like dining out and vacations. In fact, more than one-quarter of survey respondents say they would put less money away for savings to help foot their energy bills. The U.S. Energy Information Administration forecasts that households heating with natural gas likely will spend as much as 35 percent more for fuel this winter than last winter.

 

Setting their thermostats lower is the most popular way Americans are saving on energy costs this winter, the survey found.  Nearly two-thirds (63 percent) of those surveyed said they are setting their thermostats lower to save on energy costs.  Energy experts recommend use of programmable thermostats, which can be set to automatically adjust a home’s indoor temperature up or down based on the homeowner’s preferences throughout the day and night.  About 23 percent of households have a programmable thermostat, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

 

The Emerson survey found that only four of 10 households that have a programmable thermostat are actually using the programming feature. One reason: a perception that programmable thermostats are complicated to operate.  Homeowners ranked the programmable thermostat as the second-hardest home technology to program -- comparable to the VCR.

 

Emerson released the survey findings today at the AHR Expo in Chicago, the heating, ventilating and air conditioning industry’s largest annual trade show for new products and technologies.

 

“This survey finds that many homeowners are changing their behaviors to cope with higher energy costs, but we’re still lagging in embracing and fully utilizing affordable technologies like programmable thermostats that can really make an impact on utility costs and promote energy conservation,” said Tom Bettcher, an Emerson executive vice president and business leader of Emerson Climate Technologies. “Most programmable thermostats are not that complicated to setup, and the new models now available are easier-than-ever to use.”

 

Sixty-three percent of respondents say they are setting their thermostats lower to save on energy bills and it appears the days of 72-degree comfort are gone, with nearly three-quarters of respondents setting their thermostats at or under 70 degrees during the day; 28 percent setting it at or below 67 degrees.  Most homeowners are following energy experts’ advice regarding setting a lower sleep time temperature, with 82 percent setting their thermostats at or below 70 degrees and 52 percent at or below 67 degrees.

 

Putting on a sweater or another blanket has been the energy-saving approach for 59 percent of homeowners surveyed. More than a quarter said they are not heating unused rooms in their houses and 23 percent are using wood and other alternate energy sources to heat their homes.

 

The prospect of continued high energy costs has 58 percent of homeowners considering home improvements to achieve higher energy efficiency.

 

The survey also reveals that steps taken to reduce energy bills differ between the sexes. More women than men said they are adding a sweater to save energy. Women are almost 10 percentage points more likely to cut back on non-essentials like dining out or vacations than their male counterparts.

 

Emerson division introduces new touchscreen thermostat

Emerson has introduced a new White-Rodgers thermostat that employs easy-to-read and easy-to-use touchscreen display technology to help ease consumers’ fears about programming it.

 

The White-Rodgers 90 Series Blue touchscreen programmable thermostat features a 12-square-inch display and one-touch programming that simplifies the process of saving energy while achieving comfort in the home.  This high-quality thermostat is available only through HVAC contractors.

 

The independent telephone survey of 684 U.S. homeowners, commissioned by Emerson, was conducted between Jan. 5 and 8, 2006. The results are weighted to reflect the actual distribution of the adult population with regard to age, gender, race, and geographic area. The sampling error associated with this research is no more than plus or minus four percentage points.

 

Emerson (NYSE: EMR), based in St. Louis, is a global leader in bringing technology and engineering together to provide innovative solutions to customers through its network power, process management, industrial automation, climate technologies, and appliance and tools businesses. Sales in fiscal 2005 were $17.3 billion. For more information, visit www.emerson.com.

 

Emerson Climate Technologies, a business of Emerson, is the world’s leading provider of heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration solutions for residential, industrial and commercial applications. The group combines best-in-class technology with proven engineering, design, distribution, educational and monitoring services to provide customized, integrated climate-control solutions for customers worldwide. Emerson Climate Technologies’ innovative solutions, which include industry-leading brands such as Copeland Scroll™ and White-Rodgers, improve human comfort, safeguard food and protect the environment. For more information, visit www.EmersonClimate.com.

 

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