Heating and cooling discomfort can cause family disagreements, lowered productivity and lost retail sales, reports HVAC manufacturer Emerson Climate Technologies in a new consumer comfort survey.
Humidity, zoning and indoor air quality caused 76 per cent of respondents to say they weren’t comfortable in their homes. Just under half admitted to having family disagreements about comfortable temperatures and a quarter said that the air in their home caused their allergies to flare up.
The survey questioned 298 U.S. consumers via an online survey in October 2018. The same consumers also experienced discomfort while at school or work. Where thermostats weren’t accessible to employees, around 15 per cent reported trying to break in to change it themselves. Seventy per cent said that performance levels at school or work were affected by the temperature discomfort.
More than half of the consumers polled reported leaving a business due to the lack of heating and cooling comfort. “This survey, while just a sampling of consumer sentiment, shows there are great opportunities for residential and commercial HVAC contractors to have comfort conversations with both homeowners and facility managers,” said Sarah Taylor, marketing communications manager, air conditioning, for Emerson’s commercial and residential solutions business.
“Technology like modulating compressors, advanced building controls and Wi-Fi thermostats can help bring both comfort and efficiency to consumers where they live, work and shop.”