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Energy Use Inside and Outside the Dwelling – 2007 Survey of Household Energy Use – Supplemental Report

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Air quality advisories

Air quality advisories are issued in areas to warn households of smog, smoke or poor air quality. Exposure to any of them can contribute to heart and respiratory problems. Reducing energy consumption both inside and outside the dwelling can improve air quality and reduce the need for air advisories.

Awareness

In 2007, only 36 percent of households in Canada were aware that at least one air quality advisory had been issued in their area (see Figure 48). The vast majority of these households were in Ontario, where 63 percent of households were aware that at least one advisory had been issued in their area during 2007.

Figure 48. Percentage of households that were aware of an air quality advisory issued in their area, by region, 2007.

Behavioural change

The majority of Canadian households that were aware of an air quality advisory issued in their area in 2007 did not change their behaviour as a result (see Figure 49). From a regional perspective, Alberta had the highest percentage of households that did not change their behaviour (82 percent) as a result of their awareness of an advisory. However, Ontario – the region with the highest awareness of advisories that had been issued – also had the lowest percentage of households that did not change their behaviour (51 percent) as a result of their awareness of an advisory.

Figure 49. Percentage of households that did not change behaviour/activities among households that were aware of an air quality advisory issued in their area, by region, 2007.

Households that changed their behaviour as a result of their awareness of an air quality advisory made a variety of changes, SHEU-2007 found (see Figure 50). The most common choice was to stay inside after a household was aware of an advisory, which 78 percent of these households did. Other behavioural changes that could reduce household energy consumption and improve air quality were less common: 21 percent did not use their gas-powered equipment, and 10 percent used public transit or carpooled.

Figure 50. Percentage of households that made selected behavioural changes among households that made behavioural changes as a result of awareness of an air quality advisory issued, 2007.

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