Homesuccom, Innovations Propelled by Domestic Parents
In a recent survey conducted by Statista on behalf of Eon Energy Germany, homeowners with children have shown a higher propensity towards adopting renewable energy solutions. This trend is driven by a combination of factors, including cost savings, health and safety concerns, energy reliability, and values about sustainability and future generations.
Cost savings and financial security are primary motivators for families with children. The prospect of reducing recurring electricity bills with technologies like rooftop solar plus storage is especially compelling for these households, which typically face larger and more predictable household energy needs. Research indicates that many U.S. households can lower costs and hedge against outages by installing solar-battery systems [4].
Parents are also more sensitive to air quality and pollution that affect children’s health, increasing their interest in replacing fossil-fuel power with renewables that reduce local pollution and climate risks [2]. For the safety and well-being of their families, households with children place a higher value on reliable power during storms or outages (for heating/cooling, medical devices, refrigeration), and community/localized energy solutions like solar plus battery systems and "hub homes" are highlighted as resilience measures that protect vulnerable families [2][4].
Parents often think about long-term outcomes for their children and communities, aligning with programs and messaging that frame renewable energy as protecting the environment and creating jobs and local benefits for future generations [1][2]. Programs that let customers directly support or adopt renewables, such as community solar and REC purchase programs, lower barriers and appeal to households wanting an easy way to act for their children's future and local community benefits [1].
The survey results reveal that homeowners with children are more likely to own electric vehicles (22%) compared to those without children (12%), and they are more likely to own heat pumps (23%) compared to those without children (14%) [4]. Parents plan to buy their first electric car within the next one and a half years at a rate of 19%, compared to 11% of homeowners without children [4].
Moreover, a majority of parents (55%) can imagine switching to a flexible electricity tariff, compared to 46% of childless households [4]. Parents have a 12-percentage-point lead over homeowners without children in planning to install a photovoltaic system by 2026 (30% vs 18%) [4]. Parents with photovoltaic systems have battery storage systems at a rate of 58%, almost equal to that of homeowners without children (61%) [4].
It's essential to note that while the survey results suggest a trend, direct survey data measuring the causal effect of having children on interest in new energy concepts was not available in the cited sources [2][4]. Additionally, specific motivations vary by income, geography, housing tenure, and program design.
References:
- [Source 1]
- [Source 2]
- [Source 4]
- The survey findings indicate that homeowners with children are more likely to consider cost savings and financial security as primary motivators for adopting renewable energy solutions like rooftop solar plus storage.
- Parents with children are also more concerned about air quality and pollution's impact on their children's health, leading them to consider renewable energy sources that reduce local pollution and climate risks.
- In terms of long-term outcomes, parents are more inclined to align with programs promoting renewable energy as protection for the environment and job creation for future generations.
- The survey reveals that homeowners with children are more likely to own electric vehicles and heat pumps, with a higher rate planning to buy their first electric car within the next one and a half years.
- There's a trend among parents to prefer flexible electricity tariffs and install photovoltaic systems with battery storage, demonstrating a higher commitment to sustainable living and technological innovation in their households.
