Majority use only fans to cool their houses: survey

[Naveed Yaseen]

Majority of Pakistanis (45%) use fans to cool their houses in the summer while air coolers are used by 23% followed by additional fans (14%) and air-conditioners (8%).

According to a Gilani Research Foundation survey carried out by Gallup Pakistan, the remaining claimed to sprinkle water or do not do anything to cool their houses. To stay away from the scorching heat, respondents stay at home (33%), cover their heads (27%), eat cold things (26%) or use some other method to fight the heat. It may be noted that often a home would be using different modes of cooling for different parts of the house.

A nationally representative sample of men and women from across the country were asked “What do you usually do to cool down your house in the summers?” Majority (45%) said they only use fans and 23% of the respondents claimed to use air-coolers. The survey report said that 14% put on extra/additional fans where as only 8% claimed to make use of air-conditioners. Seven per cent (7%) do not do anything or perhaps are unable to afford any of these methods to cool their houses. The remaining four percent of the respondents either sprinkle water for the cooling affect or use some other means. Understandably air-conditioning is more common amongst the urbanites and people from higher income groups, where as respondents from lower income groups or from rural areas use fans or air coolers in some cases.

In a follow up question the respondents were asked what they do to avoid summer heat. The results revealed that public’s opinion was divided between those who claimed to stay at home (33%) to be away from the heat, or cover their heads while stepping out (27%) or those who claimed to eat food items, which have a cooling effect (26%). Thirteen per cent (13%) of the respondents do something else or do not do anything. A proportionately higher percentage of women (39%) as compared to men (28%) claim to stay indoors to avoid the heat. Also interestingly more men (31%) than women (22%) have claimed to cover their heads when they step out.

The study was released by Gilani Foundation and carried out by Gallup Pakistan, the Pakistani affiliate of Gallup International.

The latest survey was carried out among a sample of 2721 men and women in rural and urban areas of all four provinces of the country, during May-June 2009.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=184086