Majority of Americans Don’t Consider Climate Change When They Set Their Thermostats

When setting their thermostats, most Americans don’t think about the environmental impacts

Air conditioners are a staple of American households. The technology was invented in Buffalo, New York in 1902. Today, 90% of American households have air-conditioning. America is addicted to home heating and cooling, consuming more energy for air-conditioning than the rest of the world combined.^[2]

The prevalence of air conditioners in American life may have made us oblivious or unconcerned with air conditioning’s potentially devastating impact. When we surveyed Americans to see if they considered the environment when they set their thermostats, 57% admitted they don’t.

Women were 10% more likely than men to consider the impact of setting the thermostat. Women are also more sensitive to temperature changes overall, and more productive at warmer temperatures, according to this study.^[3]

What are the environmental risks of home air-conditioning units?

While we transition away from plastic bags in supermarkets and toward more sustainable waste removal practices such as recycling and composting, our survey revealed Americans still aren’t thinking of their home temperature dials as a way to cut down our carbon footprint — despite heat and air contributing to nearly half of a home’s energy usage.

According to Energy Star, approximately 45% of a home’s energy is utilized for heating and cooling.^[4] Further, air conditioning in the U.S. accounts for 5% of total energy consumption annually, and releases approximately 100 million tons of carbon dioxide into the air.^[5]

Air conditioners also make surrounding neighborhoods warmer by venting hot air outside. Some studies have observed air-conditioning raising overnight temperatures by about two degrees Fahrenheit (one degree Celsius).

In addition to energy waste and temperature increases, air conditioners also contain another harmful greenhouse gas called hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) which can leak out of units during usage, maintenance, and disposal. HFCs are so dangerous to the environment that world leaders are taking steps to phase them out of production — but it will take years to make this a reality.

Only 27% of Americans program or adjust their temperature settings when they leave the house

While an America without air-conditioning seems unfathomable, one of the easiest ways to reduce energy waste is to adjust your thermostat when you’re not using it — yet most Americans aren’t practicing this simple habit.

When we asked Americans whether they program or adjust their home thermostats before they leave the house, an overwhelming majority (73%) said they do not. These results were especially shocking given the popularity of programmable thermostats and smart thermostats in recent years.

According to Energy.gov, you can save as much as 10% a year on your heating and cooling by turning your thermostat 7 to 10 degrees from its normal setting.^[6] In the winter, turning your thermostat down when you are sleeping uses 1% less energy for every degree you take off of the dial.

See more home winterization tips to save energy.

Do programmable thermostats save energy?

The answer is complicated. Programmable thermostats are designed to save energy by letting you manually set the thermostat lower when you’re away during winter months and raise temperatures during summer. But these devices only work correctly when the user is vigilant about saving energy all of the time. That means keeping your thermostat at the recommended temperatures when you’re home and away.

Determined to save energy to cut costs on your electric bill and help the environment? Check out our chart of recommended temperatures.

Methodology

This study was conducted for The Zebra using Google Surveys. The sample consisted of no less than 1,000 completed responses per question. Post-stratification weighting has been applied to ensure an accurate and reliable representation of the total population. This survey was conducted in January 2020.