U.S. home energy consumption decreased significantly between 2009 and 2020, according to new data released by the U.S. Energy Information Agency’s(EIA) Residential Energy Consumption Survey (RECS).
In-depth analysis of US household energy consumption
The data shows that households consume an average of 76.8 million British thermal units (MMBtu) of energy in 2020, which is a significant reduction from the 89.6 MMBtu used in 2009. This decrease in energy consumption is consistent with the 2015 RECS estimate.
The 2020 RECS data includes energy consumption and expenditures for electricity, natural gas, and petroleum fuels used in households. For the first time, EIA has compiled data on household energy use in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, providing an in-depth analysis of how energy is consumed across the country.
According to the survey, households in the South consume the most electricity, with an average of 13,376 kilowatt hours (kWh) in 2020. Homes in the South have more air conditioning and use electricity for heating than other regions. In contrast, Hawaii had the lowest energy consumption per household, with an average of 30.3 MMBtu.
Interestingly, newer homes built in 2016 or later use less energy per square foot than older homes built before 1950. Homes built before 1950 used 51.3 thousand British thermal units (MBtu) per square foot, while homes built in 2016 or later used 31.2 MBtu, resulting in an energy use cost difference of $1.14 per square foot for older homes, compared to $0.82 for newer homes.
RECS data informs energy reduction policies
The survey also shows that natural gas consumption varies by housing type, with households living in single-family detached homes using more natural gas than those living in apartments in buildings of five or more units. In addition, household spending on heating fuel was higher in the Northeast, with fuel accounting for 20% of all residential energy spending in Connecticut.
The data collected in the 2020 RECS were obtained during the COVID-19 pandemic, when many households were spending more time at home. However, electricity use in the 2020 RECS was not significantly different from household electricity use in the 2015 RECS, with households consuming an average of 10,566 kWh of electricity in 2020 versus 10,720 kWh in 2015.
Overall, the 2020 RECS data provide an important analysis of home energy use in the United States, highlighting variations in energy use across regions and housing types.
EIA’s ongoing efforts to collect and share data on residential energy use will help inform policy decisions to reduce energy use and promote energy efficiency.
