Serbians want to raise energy efficiency levels but reality is different

Most people in Serbia believe they can make their homes more energy efficient but in reality a small number of them are doing anything concrete, a poll on awareness of energy efficiency showed. That poll showed that more than a third of Serbian citizens have replaced their windows and doors and installed heat insulation in their homes while a fifth use power-saving light bulbs.

The poll, conducted by the Ninamedia agency with the Serbian Electric Power company (EPS), covered 1,800 people across the country as part of a project titled Educating Consumers about a Liberalization of the Market.

Ninamedia spokeswoman Biljana Gavrić told a public meeting at Belgrade’s Palilula municipality seat that 65.4 percent of the people polled believe their homes can be made more energy efficient and that reducing their electricity consumption has a positive impace on the environment.

A total of 81 percent said they are trying to make rational use of electricity and just 19 percent make no effort in that direction.

However, engineer Stefan Sikimić said at the public meeting that people in Serbia use more electricity on the average than people in the European union. He said that power consumption habits need to be changed to start using power more rationally and added that power consumption can be reduced by up to 20 percent.

Energy efficiency means a more rational use of power and is not just about savings and people should buy energy efficient household appliances.

More than a third investing in isolation

Some 38 percent of the polled said they replaced their windows and doors in the past few years and installed heat isolation in their homes while 62 percent said they did not. More than a half (56.2 percent) think their home is well insulated and 27.5 percent think their homes are not well insulated.

About one fifth (22 percent) use power-saving light bulbs.

More than a fourth (27 percent) of the polled said they are aware of Energy Star designation for energy efficient appliances but just 15.9 percent have one or more of those appliances. More than 70 percent are not aware of Energy Star and 27.7 percent do not know if they have those appliances or not.

More than half (52.7 percent) mainly use wood for heating, 23.4 percent have central heating, 12.6 percent use electricity and 7.2 percent use gas for heating.

A total of 30.8 percent of the polled said excessive power consumption results in global insecurity with the power supply as the worst consequence, 29.6 percent said climate changes are the worst consequence and 25.6 percent said pollution of the environment was worst.