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Why Mary Cannot Afford Her Utility Bills: An Evaluation of a Strategy to Promote Energy Conservation for Low-Income Older Women Using Low-Cost and No-Cost Measures

This paper presents the results of a project that examined the success of no- and low-cost energy conservation measures for low-income women 62 years of age or over residing in a public hous ing development. The research tested the efficacy of a purposefully created conservation program by comparing treatment and control group changes in knowledge and attitudes toward utility conservation as well as KWHr use (adjusted for degree-days). The 17-point educational program was based on 33 utility company and government pamphlets and handouts as well as a preassessment of respondent appliance possession and use, life-style characteristics, and key energy behaviors. Data indicate that, although positive changes in energy attitudes and energy conservation knowledge were recorded for the women receiving the educational presentation, decreases in adjusted KWHr use (and therefore monetary savings) were frustrated by two factors: (a) elderly low-income women were already using small amounts of energy, thereby making further reductions more difficult, and (b) the women were "structure locked. " Although the minimum HUD building standards were followed, as determined by exten sive energy audits of the apartments, these standards were not stringent enough regarding insulationR-Values and passive solar heating and cooling use. The women in this research were helpless to reduce their energy costs significantly.