Green Appliances Are Hot in Both Warm and Cold Cities

NEW YORK, March 23,
2010 /PRNewswire/ — The government’s “Cash for Appliances”
program is underway, and American consumers are taking advantage of rebates by
turning in their older appliances for newer, more energy-efficient ones.

Consumer research firm
Scarborough Research examined households that have an “energy-saving” (or
“green”) appliance. On a local level, Honolulu,
HI; Green Bay,
WI; Portland,
OR and San Francisco, CA are the leading cities for green appliance
households. Forty percent of households in Honolulu and Green Bay have
energy-saving appliances, as do 39 percent of those in Portland and 38 percent of those in San Francisco. Nationally,
about one-third (32 percent) of households currently have a green appliance.

Energy-saving appliance owners
apply green living techniques to other areas of their lives. They are 31 percent
more likely to eat organic food. They also enjoy outdoor activities such as
running, biking, hiking, camping and fishing. Energy saving appliance owners are
21 percent more likely to garden.

In fact, a love of the outdoors
is a common trait across all of the top local markets for Green Appliance
owners. The activities they engage may vary by city. Green
Bay and Portland adults are more
likely to enjoy biking, whereas those in Honolulu
and San
Francisco prefer jogging – but all are active adults. One
leisure activity these cities have in common is hiking – they are all more
likely than total adults to enjoy this activity.

Cash for Appliances shoppers
could be looking for a deal as they are avid coupon users. According to
Scarborough, energy-efficient appliance owners
are 20 percent more likely than other adults to live in a household that uses
coupons for non-grocery products and services twice a month or more. The Sunday
newspaper is their leading source for coupons. More than half (55 percent) of
these adults live in a household that typically gets coupons from the Sunday
newspaper. However, they are 33 percent more likely to get coupons via email or
text message.

Demographically,
energy saving appliance owners tend to be married and have children. Adults who
live in a household that currently owns a green appliance are ten percent more
likely than average to have two or more children and 14 percent more likely to
be married. While they cross all ages, energy saving appliance owners are 12
percent more likely to be Generation Xers (ages
30-44).