The study was undertaken to determine the impact of higher energy prices on households and the ways in which the energy crisis has affected households in Utah. The specific purposes of the study were to examine and compare energy conservation practices, weatherization features and electrical energy consumption with personal characteristics of the households and characteristics of the dwellings. / A stratified random sample of 2,055 residential customers of Utah Power and Light Company was drawn to provide an equivalent number of rural and urban respondents. A survey instrument was developed, tested in a pilot study, revised as needed and mailed to each household in the sample. Responses to the survey totaled 1,449 households (70.5%). / A relatively high majority of respondents were male heads of households, with a mean age of 46.6 years of age and a high level of education. The predominant habitat of the respondents was in rural areas and in small towns. / Chi-square statistical tests were used to test for significant relationships between conservation practices and weatherization features and personal and house characteristics. Findings indicated that conservation of electrical energy was usually practiced by male heads of households 30 years of age and younger and 65 year of age and older who had less than a high school education. These respondents owned older houses or mobile homes of medium size with coal or oil space heat and had electrically heated water. / Weatherization features were most often added by households with older male heads with less than a high school education. / A one-way analysis of variance and (LSD) procedure were used to determine statistically significant differences (p = .01) in household electrical energy consumption between groups categorized by personal and house characteristics (including appliance ownership and weatherization features). Findings revealed that higher electrical energy consumption was reported by heads of households who 31 to 64 years of age, had more than a high school education, and lived in households with incomes over $10,000 with two or more persons home in the daytime. Higher electrical energy consumption was indicated by households that lived in rural areas or in small towns, owned large dwellings built after 1974, had space and water heated electrically and owned several household appliances. / A forward stepwise regression procedure was run to develop a prediction equation for the first quarter (January through March, 1980) kilowatt-hour energy consumption using personal and house characteristics as predictors. Using all the independent variables in the equation, 63 percent of the variance was explained (R('2) = .6379). Since the variable, source of heat, accounted for such a large proportion (55.7%) of the kilowatt-hour variability separate regression equations were run through the forward stepwise multiple regression procedure for houses that were electrically heated and not electrically heated. / Using the regression equation, kilowatt-hour consumption predicted for the "All Electric" houses was 9,291.9 kilowatt-hours while the equation for the "Non Electric" houses revealed a predicted electrical energy consumption of 1,653 kilowatt-hours. / Findings from this study indicate that households that installed at least one weatherization feature consumed more kilowatt-hours of energy than other households. Households that had electrically heated houses used significantly higher kilowatt-hours of energy than households in nonelectric houses. / The impact of higher energy prices on families may be indicated by the high response to the study. A relatively high majority of respondents who reported energy conservation practices were in households with low incomes, large families, and in rural areas with limited alternatives. Recommendations for future research based on the findings of this study are suggested. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 42-01, Section: B, page: 0159. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1981.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_74395 |
| Contributors | CHATELAIN, LARAE BARTHOLOMEW., Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text |
| Format | 233 p. |
| Rights | On campus use only. |
| Relation | Dissertation Abstracts International |
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