December 13th, 2007
IBM: When it comes to energy use, consumers will pay more for greener options
OK, Harry cornered the market today on politically laden postings. So, here I am with some suggestive stats from the data-minded folks at IBM, who have conducted a survey about energy among roughly 1,900 households in the United States, the Netherlands, Australia, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands.
First, the troubling news: A full 84 percent of the respondents expect their energy usage to either stay the same or increase over the next five years. (Around 7 percent said it could increase “a great deal.”) A majority also expect a corresponding increase in their energy bills. At least they have common sense about what their habits will do to their wallet.
And now, some of the good news: 70 percent of the survey respondents on a worldwide basis said the environment is an important consideration in their choice of energy supplier. It surprised me little that out of the six countries surveyed, consumers in the United States were among those that put the least emphasis on this factor. (Only people in the Netherlands cared less about the environment when compared to other factors.)
Cost, of course, was the biggest reason any of the respondents will consider renewable energy. Still, it shows that about one-quarter of consumers who have eco-friendly, renewable energy options available to them are buying them and that those who DO NOT would like the option.
Some of them were even willing to pay an increase for renewable energy, as shown by the slide below.
For you who can’t get enough of these numbers, the entire survey can be downloaded here.
Heather Clancy is an award-winning business journalist in the New York area with more than 20 years experience covering the high-tech industry. See her full profile and disclosure of her industry affiliations. See her full profile and disclosure of her industry affiliations.
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