Dec. 14, 2012: Americans Avoid Responsibility for Wasting Energy, Blame Utilities or Inefficient Homes
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Although residential electricity consumption is increasing, a national survey finds Americans blame their utilities or their inefficient homes for their rising energy bills rather than putting the blame on themselves for using more power.
The survey, conducted by the Shelton Group, found Americans are more likely to blame an inefficient home — 25 percent think their homes are inefficient — or utilities (18 percent), and not their own demand for energy (12 percent). In addition, many of those who’ve made energy-efficient improvements say their utility bills have remained the same, or gone up.