Enercare discovers Ontarians rely on air conditioning to stay cool, but take a passive approach to heat wave preparation
Almost three-quarters (74%) of Ontarians say they would not buy or rent a home that does not have air conditioning
Two-thirds (64%) believe air conditioning is the most important thing for staying cool during a summer heat wave
6 in 10 (60%) of Ontario homeowners say they test their air conditioner every year
MARKHAM, ON, May 15, 2019 /CNW/ - A new poll conducted by Ipsos on behalf of Enercare, found that Ontarians rely on air conditioning more than anything else to stay cool and keep their families comfortable during the summer months.
In recent years, Ontarians have experienced and suffered through uncomfortably hot summer temperatures, reaching over 40 degrees Celsius in certain areas. Even though homeowners know the summer heat is coming, many fail to test or ensure their air conditioning is working properly prior to the start of summer.
A survey of more than 1,000 Ontario homeowners conducted in April 2019 by Ipsos found that only 60% of Ontario homeowners test their air conditioner on an annual basis and only 30% had their air conditioner serviced within the past year.
In contrast, it's clear air conditioning is something the vast majority of Ontarians value as almost three-quarters (74%) of survey respondents stated they would not buy or rent a home that does not have air conditioning.
"Testing your home's air conditioner prior to the first heat wave of the season is a simple and easy way for homeowners to ensure their home and family members will be comfortable when the hot and humid weather arrives this summer," says Dave Gosling, Vice President of Field Operations for Enercare. "As a leading home services company, Enercare is committed to making homeownership easier. Performance of a simple test on your air conditioning every spring is an easy way to ensure it's functioning properly before the hot weather arrives."
Homeowners should ensure the outdoor temperature is consistently above 13 degrees Celsius prior to turning on their air conditioning for the season. Before adjusting the thermostat, ensure the electrical breaker is on and remove the cover along with any debris around the condenser. It is also a great time to check and replace any dirty air filters; this will ensure maximum airflow.
If you notice any irregularities once your air conditioner is running, turn off the unit, and contact a licensed professional. For more information, visit www.testyourac.ca
Fun Facts
What's your thermostat set at?
The average thermostat setting during a summer heat wave is 20.9°C, while people aged 18-34 tend to set their air conditioning to a lower temperature (at 18°C) and those aged 55 and over tend to set it to a higher temperature (at 24°C).
When does summer officially start?
The anticipation of summer reaches its peak as Ontarians prepare to switch on their air conditioners, but four in ten (37%) of Ontarians don't know that June 21st is the official start of summer.
Has summer unofficially started?
For some Ontarians, yes! About one in four (26%) Ontarians state that summer unofficially arrived when the snow melted and a similar proportion (23%) point to the May long weekend as a sign that summer has arrived.
About Enercare Inc.
Enercare is one of North America's largest home and commercial services and energy solutions companies with approximately 5,100 employees under its Enercare and Service Experts brands. Enercare, through its wholly-owned subsidiary Enercare Solutions Inc., is a leading provider of water heaters, water treatment, furnaces, air conditioners and other HVAC rental products, plumbing services, protection plans and related services. With operations in Canada and the United States, Enercare serves approximately 1.6 million customers annually. Enercare is also the largest non-utility sub-meter provider, with electricity, water, thermal and gas metering contracts for condominium and apartment suites in Canada and through its Triacta brand, a premier designer and manufacturer of advanced sub-meters and sub-metering solutions.
About the Study
These are some of the findings of an Ipsos poll conducted between 16-18 April 2019, on behalf of Enercare Inc. For this survey, a sample of 1,041 Ontarians aged 18 and over who own a home, condo, or co-op was interviewed. Weighting was then employed to balance demographics to ensure that the sample's composition approximates the sample universe. The precision of Ipsos online polls is measured using a credibility interval. In this case, the poll is accurate to within ±3.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, had all Ontarians aged 18 and over who own a home, condo, or co-op been polled. The credibility interval will be wider among subsets of the population. All sample surveys and polls may be subject to other sources of error, including, but not limited to coverage error and measurement error.
SOURCE Enercare Inc.
Perry Schwartz, Senior Manager, Public Relations & Social Media, 905.943.6260, [email protected].
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