1.15.2009 9:42 AM

Survey: Saving Money and Doing the Right Thing Drive Green Choices

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Photo: Justin Horrocks / Istock

By Dan Shapley

Does this describe you?

You've made a few energy efficiency improvements to your home — some weather stripping here, some insulation there. You do it because it saves you money on energy bills, helps to reduce your contribution to global warming and generally makes you feel good about doing the right thing. And you'd do more ... if only it didn't cost so much.

If that's the case, you're like the average American, according to a new survey by Yale and George Mason Universities.

Of more than 2,100 surveyed, about half said they had already taken steps to make their homes more energy-efficient. And nearly 20% planned to do more this year. But while two-thirds would like to upgrade to a fuel-efficient car, one-third said they can't afford to.

The top motivators for people making these choices?

Saving money
Reducing global warming
The desire to act morally
Wanting to feel good about oneself

An encouraging finding: By a 2-to-1 margin, respondents thought going green would improve the quality of their life, rather than diminish it.

The survey suggests that government subsidies for energy efficiency improvements could work, since so many people want to do the right thing but are deterred by the high up-front cost of replacing an old appliance, car or other big-ticket item.