New poll says 74% of Americans aren't ready for summer energy costs

With a brutal heat wave sweeping across the nation, sky-high utility bills are about to hit local communities. But according to a new study, three out of four Americans aren’t prepared for this financial strain. Scott Baradell of DuraPlas talks about the study here. The 2024 DuraPlas Summer Cooling Survey was conducted by by the third-party platform Pollfish and found that: * 74% percent of Americans say they don’t have a plan for dealing with summer energy costs, with nearly half (48%) saying they’ll have to cut back on dining out and entertainment if necessary to cover the increase. * 77% said they expect some level of increase in their summer energy bills, and 63% report that they’ve already made lifestyle adjustments to cover the extra costs–with nearly a quarter saying those adjustments have been significant. The good news is that 32% say regular maintenance of their HVAC system helps them better control these costs.