TORONTO, April 19, 2011 - Canadians admit that saving the environment isn’t the only factor that is influencing their decision to be more eco-friendly and make energy efficient upgrades at home. According to the Bosch Green Technology Survey, the top reason for Canadians to make energy efficient upgrades to their home is to save money (72%), followed by reducing their home’s impact on the environment (37%) and improving resale value (34%). With more than three-quarters (76%) indicating that a tax credit would impact their decision to make an environmentally efficient upgrade to their home, money is clearly a motivator for environmental change.
“Our survey showed that 77% of Canadians have already made or are intending to make environmentally friendly improvements to their home,” says Steve Preiner, Director of Marketing, Bosch. “One easy way to make a big impact is to install energy efficient appliances such as the Bosch 800 Plus dishwasher, which uses 156% less energy than the federal standard.”
Canadians have good reasons to look for ways to save money. Seventy per cent of Canadians think their energy bill costs will increase by more than 10%. Historically, the average electricity price for residential customers in nearly every major city has increased and it is expected to continue to rise[1].
“Canadians can make more eco-friendly choices that can also help them save money such as choosing ENERGY STAR® qualified products, which consume much less energy over their lifetime. This is especially important now as we watch energy prices increase across Canada,” says Preiner.
Environmentally friendly home-improvements:
When asked what environmentally friendly improvements they have already completed or are planning to undertake over the next 18 months, Canadians responded:
- Replace regular light-bulbs with CFL light-bulbs 57%
- Energy efficient appliance purchases 41%
- Change lighting fixtures to accommodate low wattage lighting 29%
- Replace or upgrade windows 27%
- None of the above 23%
- Upgrade cooling or heating system to more energy efficient model 20%
- Insulate basement, roof or walls 19%
Bosch’s commitment:
“When it comes to energy conservation, Bosch follows a cradle-to-cradle approach to sustainability,” says Preiner. “Our eco-heritage is our philosophy. It starts at the research and development level and is followed through in our commitment to build quality appliances that will last longer and need less servicing.”
- Ninety-two per cent of waste produced at Bosch is recycled
- Bosch has taken more than 50% of logistics off of the road, using railways and other alternatives for shipment
- Bosch refrigerators use one third of the energy of what they did 15 years ago
- Bosch has developed a dishwasher that reserves clean water in a pocket to be used in the next rinse cycle meaning 7L of water can wash 13 place settings in one load
About the Bosch Green Technology Survey:
From March 18 to March 19, 2011, Angus Reid Public Opinion conducted an online survey among a randomly selected sample of 1007 Canadian homeowners. Discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding. The margin of error—which measures sampling variability—is +/- 3.1%.
About Bosch:
Bosch Home Appliances is part of BSH Bosch and Siemens Home Appliance Group, the third largest appliance manufacturer in the world. Inspired by the lifestyle of today’s discerning consumers, all Bosch products combine efficiency, quietness, and quality with unrivaled ease of use. Known worldwide for raising standards in efficiency and quietness, Bosch is the only Canadian home appliance manufacturer with entire product lines of ENERGY STAR® qualified dishwashers, washers and refrigeration. Bosch continues to be the brand of choice for discerning consumers that desire the best in green living, quietness, convenience, design and safety.
For more information, please contact:
Jennifer Meneses/Laura Arlabosse-Stewart
jmeneses@paradigmpr.ca/lstewart@paradigmpr.ca
Paradigm Public Relations
416-203-2223
[1]2008 Comparison of Electricity Prices in Major North American Cities. Retrieved on March 21 from http://www.hydroquebec.com/publications/en/comparison_prices/pdf/comp_2008_en.pdf
2010 Comparison of Electricity Prices in Major North American Cities. Retrieved on March 21 from http://www.hydroquebec.com/publications/en/comparison_prices/pdf/comp_2010_en.pdf
