Dubai, UAE, 24 July 2018:  A YouGov poll on the electricity consumption habits of United Arab Emirates residents was commissioned by cooling and energy-solutions provider Taqeef, as a consumer-awareness initiative, the company announced in a Press communiqué.

According to Taqeef, 1,000 United Arab Emirates residents were interviewed and the findings revealed:

• A quarter (25%) leave their AC on at home all day while they are out at work.
• A quarter (24%) admit to keeping their AC on while they leave the country and travel during the summer.
• Men are more likely to leave their AC on when they travel (26%) compared to women (19%).
• Expat Arabs are the most energy-conscious group with 72% switching off their AC when they travel, followed by Asian residents (67%) and then Westerners (62%).
• Income and marital status does have a bearing on AC usage; 42% of those with an income of +75,000 AED per month are most likely to leave their AC on, as well as 29% of married couples, followed by 24% of those with children and then 23% of people living alone.
• Over half (58%) said they would use their AC less if they had to pay the full bill themselves (instead of it being a fixed cost in their rent).

Despite the above findings, it seems consumer understanding of the environmental impact of excessive AC use is high, as 74% of respondents admitted they are aware that using their AC excessively can have a negative impact on the environment, the communiqué said.

Tariq Al Ghussain

In light of this survey –  and with Dubai previously noted as having one of the highest carbon footprints per capita in the world – Taqeef recently began selling the Nest learning thermostat, the communiqué said.

Commenting on the survey, Tariq Al Ghussein, Chairman and CEO, Taqeef, said: “We need to change our habits and look at smarter, more thoughtful ways to control our energy usage. The Nest learning thermostat is one such product that’s so intuitive it will turn itself down when you leave and will figure out exactly what cooling your space needs while you’re away.”