It’s all down to a certain degree of difference.
While Canadians are increasingly stuck at home during COVID-19, a new poll has emerged that looks at our habits around the thermostat.
Research Co. examined the temperature wars between spouses and partners who are currently cohabitating.
According to their poll, roughly half of Canadians (49 per cent) who are married or live with a significant other say they and their partner are equally in charge of setting the thermostat.
However, a number of people also admit to tinkering with the temperature without telling their partner.
39 per cent of those surveyed say they change the heat at home without telling their spouse or partner “all of the time” or “most of the time.”
Women are more likely to sneak in a bump on the thermostat, with 45 per cent saying they would change temperatures without telling their spouse or partner “most of the time” or “all of the time,” compared to 34 per cent of men.
More broadly, energy use at home has increased as people are working from home or sheltering in place during the winter.
Over a third of Canadians (37 per cent) say their energy and heating use at home has increased over the past few weeks, compared to 13 per cent who say it has decreased, and 45 per cent who say it hasn’t changed.
As for the ideal thermostat setting, the largest number (39 per cent) said 21C or 22C, a third (33 per cent) said 19C or 20C, 12 per cent said 18 C or lower, and 10 per cent said 23C or higher.
Results are based on an online study conducted from February 1st to February 3rd, 2021, among 800 adult British Columbians. The data has been statistically weighted according to Canadian census figures for age, gender and region in British Columbia. The margin of error— which measures sample variability—is +/- 3.5 percentage points, nineteen times out of twenty.
