Germans Dress Warmly

• Half the German population lowers the room temperature and puts on warmer clothes.
• One in five says: "I turn the heating up as much as I want."

The Germans dress warmly at home. Almost one in two (47%) lowers the room temperature and prefers putting on warmer clothing in order to keep energy consumption and energy costs low. By contrast, almost one in five (20%) stands by the claim: "I like it to be pleasantly warm and turn the heating up as much as I want." These are the findings of a nationwide survey of 1,052 people conducted by the expert organization DEKRA.

In response to the question "What do you do to keep energy consumption and costs low?", 85% of those surveyed replied: "I ensure that electricity consumption is kept low." 79% take a look at the energy efficiency label when purchasing electrical devices. Just over a third (36%) opt for changing to a cost-effective electricity or gas provider (multiple responses). It is noticeable that those under 25 are less concerned with energy saving than other age groups.

As a motive for saving energy at home, 79% mentioned high electricity and heating costs, and 62.8% cited climate and environmental protection. Only 3% pay no attention at all to saving energy.

1,052 people took part in the survey in January and early February 2016. They came from all over Germany to one of 32 DEKRA sites for the general inspection.