WASHINGTON — When it comes to saving energy, people in the United States know that driving a fuel-efficient car accomplishes more than turning off the lights at home. But that doesn’t mean they’ll do it.
A new poll shows that although most of those questioned understand effective ways to save energy, they have a hard time adopting them.
Six in 10 surveyed say driving a more fuel-efficient car would save a large amount of energy, but only 1 in 4 says that’s easy to do, according to the poll by the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. People also are skeptical of carpooling or installing better home insulation, rating them as effective but impractical.
Even those who support conservation don’t practice it.
Cindy Shriner, a retired teacher from Lafayette, Ind., buys energy-efficient light bulbs and her 2009 Subaru Impreza gets nearly 30 miles per gallon on the highway.
Still, she keeps her house at about 73 degrees year-round, despite government recommendations to turn thermostats to 68 degrees in winter and 78 degrees in summer.
“I’m terrible,” Shriner, 60, said in an interview. “In all honesty we have extreme weather in all seasons” in Indiana.
The public looks to large institutions for leadership in saving energy. Nearly two-thirds look to the energy industry to show the way toward energy conservation, and nearly 6 in 10 say the government should play a leading role. Democrats, college graduates and people under 50 are the most likely to hold industry is responsible for increasing energy savings.
The poll shows that 4 in 10 questioned think their own actions can significantly affect the country’s energy problems.
