2012 AARP Survey of West Virginia Residents Age 45 and Older on Electric Utilities

The AARP West Virginia State Office in response to its commitment to ensure affordable electric rates and consumer protections for all residents commissioned this survey to explore the views of residents 45 years and older regarding utility affordability, power restoration following storms and consumer protections.
 
The findings suggest:

• Nearly all residents age 45 and older report they are concerned about the rising costs of heating and cooling their homes.
  
  
• More than one-half of residents who use electricity or both electricity and natural gas, also believe they are paying too much for electricity.
  
  
• Eighty-five percent of residents age 45 and older say they or someone they know lost power in the Derecho, and 58 percent say they or someone they know lost power during Hurricane Sandy.
  
  
• Of these residents who lost power or knew someone who did, nearly half say that during the Derecho, power was out for a week or more.  Additionally, more than one-third (36%) of these residents indicate that during Hurricane Sandy, power was lost for a week or more.

These results are based on a telephone survey of West Virginia resident’s age 45 years and older fielded November 30 to December 4, 2012.  A total of 700 interviews were completed yielding a margin of error ±3.8 percent.

For more information, contact Cassandra Burton at (202) 434-3547.