Climate protection - everyone votes for it. But what about the costs? As per an actual survey of the Bavarian Housing Companies’ Association ("Verband Bayerischer Wohnungsunternehmen", VdW) having interviewed nearly 2000 men and women the most renters in Germany agreed to climate protection investments. But they are not willing to pay for it. Much more than 70 % wanted neither accepting higher rents nor abstaining from a part of the side costs saving after an energy save modernisation. In the land of "to be stingy is phat" the price still seems to be the most important factor for investment decisions.

A Swiss survey has yielded a little different result. Here the price does not play the most important role. Electricity clients from the Eastern Switzerland have been interviewed which criteria are deciding for their product choice. Three from altogether seven functional product characteristics have had a fraction of nearly 80 % of the voting decisions. An elctric current mix (38 % Importance) comes in first, then the monthly costs (25 %) and in third the power production place (15%). Here a quality feature plays a more important role than the costs. The results allow the consideration that the electricity providers need not to engage in a price war. The survey’s background was the Swiss Current Supply Law planning a gradual opening of the local electricity market.

Sources:
http://www.nzz.ch/nachrichten/kultur/literatur_und_kunst/kunden_wuenschen_erneuerbare_energien_1.567143.html 
http://www.welt.de/welt_print/article1249768/Fr_Klimaschutz_aber_gegen_die_Kosten.html