Thermostats Under Assault in Alaska: Dept of Environmental Conservation making calls on Fairbanks heating habits

03/20/2014

FAIRBANKS—Certain Fairbanks North Star Borough residents can expect a phone call asking about their heating habits.

A research company this week began making phone calls to random homes in the borough to conduct a survey of residential heating practices in the area.

The survey is being conducted at the behest of the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation and the borough and will be performed by an Alaska-based research firm Hays Research Group. The survey is confidential, according to DEC, and should take about eight minutes to complete.

Surveyors plan to ask residents about the type of fuel they use and how often they use it.

This isn't the first time DEC has performed such surveys in the borough. In 2013 and in several previous winters, the department conducted similar research.

Cindy Heil with DEC said the surveys have been a common practice for the department as it seeks to evaluate its programs in the Interior. She said this year's results would be compared with those of past years to assess trends and impacts of air quality programs in the borough.

According to a news release, the surveys have served as "an important part of determining the overall picture of home heating habits in the borough, monitoring trends and verifying projection for air quality planning."

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