60% of Italians dream of switching from gas to solar energy to heat their homes. This is what emerges from the "Living in Europe" research conducted by E.ON through Kantar Emnid to analyze the behaviors related to domestic life of the population of some European countries and study the ways in which energy, household appliances and technologies are used.
The interviews, addressed to around 8.000 people in Italy, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Czech Republic, Romania, Sweden, Turkey and Hungary, revealed interesting habits and preferences related to heating and temperatures in European homes. In fact, if currently the vast majority of homes in the eight countries considered are heated by gas - with maximum values in the United Kingdom (75%) and Italy (72%) - it is the Italians and Hungarians who consider solar energy as the ideal source for heating the home .
The preference of the beautiful country for solar energy (60%) is decidedly higher than that found in Germany (46%) and the United Kingdom (38%), but also in countries located at latitudes comparable to ours such as Romania and Turkey.
As far as the ideal temperature in one's home is concerned, it is interesting to note how Italians differ in their preference for lower temperatures than one would expect for both the bedroom and the living room.
In fact, 56% of Italians like to sleep at 18/20 °C; only 21% prefer temperatures above 20°C, while only 16% prefer to sleep with temperatures below 18°C. While England and Germany lower the average, with one preferring a cooler bedroom, to around 18°C, in the other central European countries the ideal temperatures settle between 20 and 22 degrees.
Also as regards the living room, for the majority of Italians the preferred temperature is 19 °C, while in all the other countries taken into consideration, excluding Sweden and the United Kingdom, the ideal temperature is 22 °C.
It is curious to note that Italians prefer, as a method to warm up and prevent cold feet, electric blankets and hot water bottles for 51%. However, 21% do not mind warming up in an embrace with their partner.
In line with its approach based on proximity and attention towards consumers, E.ON with Kantar Emnid also intended to investigate other aspects of domestic behavior and the consideration of citizens of the eight countries considered in terms of energy and technologies, with the aim of optimizing its offer of innovative solutions in line with the needs and expectations of its customers.
