SYDNEY, Sept. 3 (UPI) -- Concerns about rising utility bills are causing many Australians to switch to alternative sustainable energy sources.

A Newspoll survey noted that since 2007 electricity and gas prices have increased by an estimated average of 35 percent, leading many Australians to become more "carbon-efficient," News.com.au reported Friday.


A major beneficiary of the shift to renewable alternative energy sources is solar power. Solar water heater manufacturer Solahart commissioned the Newspoll survey, which queried 676 homeowners about domestic energy use.

The survey indicated that 88 percent of respondents stated that they were interested in reducing household energy use, while 79 percent replied that they were interested in switching to alternative sustainable energy sources such as solar power.

Because of surging energy costs, 89 percent of those polled replied that they had already taken steps to reduce electrical consumption by installing more energy-efficient items such as energy-saving light bulbs, while 72 percent of the respondents replied that they had purchased more energy-efficient appliances.

Other survey data weren't reported.