If you have ever thought that the movement toward more energy-efficient home designs and appliances could be hindered by lack of public interest, you may want to think again, according to a recent Demand Institute poll. The pollsters surveyed over 10,000 households nationwide and found that, though safety, affordability and privacy were all top concerns, energy efficiency beat them all out for the title of Americans' top housing concern.

Specifically, the survey focused on unmet needs, meaning that energy efficiency was the topic on which there was the greatest gap between what people said they valued and what they actually had in their home. According to the poll, 71 percent of households felt that energy efficiency was of high importance, but only 35 percent said that their home was currently energy efficient. 

The Demand Institute, a nonprofit think tank that monitors consumer demand, attributes the strong consumer interest in energy efficiency and energy-efficient devices to the increasing cost of home utilities. 

"Utilities are a significant and regular part of households' budgets, and spending on utilities has risen more quickly than overall consumer spending – 56 percent vs. 38 percent growth since 2000," Louise Keely, president of the Demand Institute, said in a statement.

The institute's report, entitled "The Housing Satisfaction Gap: What People Want, but Don't Have," is part of a larger project focusing on the future of housing and community demand that was carried out over a period of 18 months and surveyed over 10,000 consumers in 2,200 American cities and towns.

To make a step toward improving your home's energy efficiency, contact Alban Inspections for an energy audit today.