People are saving the planet in spite of COVID-19

Despite all that’s going on in the world, our planet’s health continues to be a big issue for many people. Even with the present issues we face every day, and possibly because of them, our data shows that people are still looking to plan for the planet’s future. And they’re trying to make it better.

We surveyed 1,000 people nationwide and asked specifically about what they were doing in terms of home improvements, financial issues, and green issues. In this article, we’ll focus on what we found relative environmental issues.

Is now a good time to make your home environmentally friendly?

Because of the international COVID-19 pandemic, millions of people have had their work hours reduced, been furloughed, or lost their jobs. Beyond that, the news broadcasts stories of unrest and uncertainty, and we still have no clear idea when things will return back to normal—or if they ever will.

With all this going on, it wouldn’t be surprising if people’s efforts to live “greener” lifestyles took a back seat to other concerns. Thankfully, they haven’t.

How common are green home improvements?

Our survey covered a few topics, but we found three major insights:

First, 51% of respondents said they want to make an environmentally friendly change to their home, and 53% said they were already investing in some kind of improvement to their home. Landscaping projects were the most popular type of improvement, while remodeling a room was a close second. We found that there was no overwhelming consensus on the type of improvements environmentally conscious participants should do, but making some kind of change for the betterment of the earth is popular.

Second, the data illustrated that part of this desire to make changes towards more sustainable options may come from present realities rather than foresight. 47% of respondents claimed they’ve seen their monthly electric bill increase, and 16% said it had increased by $40 or more! A majority of respondents also reported that they’re using more energy than they did pre-pandemic. This is likely because the pandemic has caused people to spend more time at home and less time in shared spaces. More time at home means more energy use, from powering computers to simply staying comfortable.

Third, although money is tight for many people right now, 30% of respondents said they’ve donated to an environmental non-profit in the past few months. Of those donations, 22% contributed money while 6% offered their time. People are still making room in their budgets to contribute to the cause financially, which shows that it has risen up many people’s priority lists.

How solar can help your home become more green

Our survey showed that the majority of people are interested in making green home improvements. This can be done by getting energy from a clean and sustainable source and making the home more energy-efficient. Solar energy, especially when paired with a battery, is one of the most accessible options for people to take control of their power and produce energy that is clean and reliable.