As seen on ISSA.com. 

A “green” gap exists when it comes to terms such as “energy efficiency,” “energy conservation,” “demand response,” “smart energy,” and “clean energy,” and customers’ understanding, acceptance, and perceptions of value around those terms, according to the first EcoPinion Survey Report published by EcoAlign.

The green gap in communications is contributing to a growing misalignment between customers’ stated intentions—e.g., their desire to be more green or frugal with energy consumption—and their actual behavior, concluded the EcoAlign press release promoting the report.

Findings from the EcoPinion Survey Report include:

• Only 13 percent of the surveyed respondents thinking energy efficiency has to do with saving money or cutting down on fuel costs.

• To conserve energy, one quarter of respondents try to buy energy efficient products, and 19 percent lower their thermostats, with women more likely to take actions around conserving energy

• Only about one-third (30 percent) understand the term “smart energy,” and about the same amount (32 percent) say they are not doing enough in terms of “smart energy”

• One-third of respondents do not know what “clean energy” signifies.

• Although 41 percent of consumers polled don’t know what “demand response” is, many find it unpopular (44 percent), annoying (42 percent), and unhelpful (40 percent).

• Most consumers can’t articulate the difference between the phrases “energy conservation” and “energy efficiency” while

The survey of 1,000 Americans was conducted the first week of November. For a free copy of the full EcoPinion Survey Report, click here.