Climate Central

Climate Central

Energy is invisible to the naked eye, but it is a part of every facet of our lives. In a new study, my coauthors and I investigated public perceptions of energy consumption to see how accurate people are in judging how much energy a variety of different activities and devices use.

In an online nationwide survey, participants were asked about the energy used and saved by household and transportation activities, among other behaviors. When asked about the most effective thing they can do to conserve energy in their lives, many Americans think of cutting back on activities (curtailment) rather than investing in home equipment or fuel-efficient transportation (energy efficiency) – this is the opposite of what experts recommend. There may be many reasons why people may think of curtailment rather than energy efficiency, as curtailing ones’ behavior does not involve any upfront costs.