thermostat settings by time of day shown as Figure 1-12 indicates nearly 75 percent of the homes have responded to the 68 degree daytime thermostat setting. This drops to 59 percent in the evening hours but climbs back to 86 percent at night. The final frequency distribution shown in Figure 1-13 relates presence of storm windows to age of home.

As was found in Topeka, approximately 90 percent of the homes has storm sash on at least half of the windows.

Summary

The relative presence of physical, residential energy conservation features is similar in both Danbury and Topeka:

between 45 and 65 percent of all homes with
unheated, unfinished attics have less than
six inches of ceiling insulation;

about 10 percent of all homes have less
than half of their windows equipped with
storm sash;

between 15 and 20 percent of all homes

have less than half of their exterior doors
equipped with storm doors.

Attention is directed

The noticeable difference between the two populations sampled is the manner in which the homes are operated. specifically to thermostat control:

Daytime thermostat settings of 68 degrees or less
were found in 75 percent of the homes in Danbury
versus 30 percent in Topeka.

Evening thermostat settings of 68 degrees or less
were found in 59 percent of the homes in Danbury
versus only 28 percent in Topeka.

Night thermostat settings of 68 degrees or less
were found in 90 percent of the homes in
Danbury versus only 57 percent in Topeka.

Another indication of this lower degree of concern for the efficient energy management habits of the homeowners in Topeka was evidenced by the significantly lower participation rate in Project Conserve.

An examination of the causal factors for this attitudinal difference intuitively focuses on the financial benefits of energy conservation as perceived by the two populations. In Danbury, the primary heating fuel is No. 2 Heating Oil. During

the winter and spring of 1974, the price of this oil fluctuated between 27 and 38 cents per gallon with publicized concern over availability at any price. In Topeka where the primary heating fuel is natural gas, supplies were adequate and prices were approximately 75 cents per 1000 cubic feet (in excess of 3000 cubic feet). Converting these prices to a common base, Danbury homeowners were paying approximately 40 cents per therm while in Topeka the price was about 8 cents per therm. This relationship plus the more severe winters in Danbury make pay-back periods for investment in retrofit in Topeka four to five times as long as in Danbury.

If financial benefits have been the prime motivating force for homeowners to invest in energy conserving actions, it becomes clear that other incentives must be added in areas of plentiful, inexpensive heating fuel. This is true, at least, until either supply difficulties or increased prices close the gap in fuel costs per therm. Although this gap is already beginning to close, there is a need to increase the perceived value of such direct benefits from energy conserving retrofit as:

personal health and comfort; and

• personal pride in energy conservation.

RECOMMENDED IMPROVEMENTS

The pilot test of Project Conserve was enlightening from the standpoint of improving the system and its components. Rather than elaborate on the cost or merits of the improvements, they are enumerated below for subsequent considerations:

(1) Project Recognition

The envelope in which the questionnaire
and related materials is mailed to home-
owners should be made more readily
identifiable.

(2) Questionnaire

(3)

(4)

Type face should be enlarged. Optional
nature of Section V should be highlighted.
Ranges of heating fuel bills should be
altered for the locale. In general, the
questionnaire should be made more enjoyable
to read; e.g., include characters depicting
required action for answering selected
questions.

Results

Change "DOLLAR SAVINGS" to "AVOIDED COST".
When the data on a questionnaire indicates
the home already has a given retrofit action
in place, a message should appear on the
report such as "STORM WINDOWS - OK". Retrofit
actions that show an annual savings of less
than some minimum dollar amount or whose pay-
back period exceeds some upper limit should
be eliminated from the report.

Calculations

When calculating the benefits and costs of
ceiling insulation, the increments of added
insulation should correspond with commercially
available thicknesses.

Since Project Conserve was to have been implemented on a citywide basis subsequent to the pilot test described herein, the improvements to the questionnaire were accomplished. Presented on the following three pages is the revised version.