Frequently Asked Questions
How is electricity used in U.S. homes?
Estimated U.S. Residential Electricity Consumption by End-Use, 2010
| End-Use | Quadrillion Btu | Billion Kilowatthours | Share of Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Space Cooling | 1.11 | 326 | 22.4% |
| Lighting | 0.71 | 207 | 14.2% |
| Water Heating | 0.44 | 129 | 8.9% |
| Refrigeration | 0.36 | 107 | 7.3% |
| Color Televisions and Set-Top Boxes | 0.34 | 100 | 6.8% |
| Space Heating | 0.29 | 84 | 5.8% |
| Clothes Dryers | 0.19 | 54 | 3.7% |
| Personal Computers and Related Equipment | 0.18 | 53 | 3.6% |
| Furnace Fans and Boiler Circulation Pumps | 0.14 | 41 | 2.8% |
| Cooking | 0.11 | 31 | 2.2% |
| Dishwashers 1 | 0.09 | 27 | 1.8% |
| Freezers | 0.08 | 23 | 1.6% |
| Clothes Washers 1 | 0.03 | 10 | 0.7% |
| Other Uses2 | 0.90 | 264 | 18.1% |
| Total Consumption | 4.65 | 1,363 |
1Does not include water heating.
2Includes small electric devices, heating elements, and motors not listed above.
Learn more:
Residential electricity consumption estimates and forecasts by type of end-use, Table 4.
Detailed statistics for residential electricity consumption by type of appliance, in 2001.
Last updated: February 22, 2012
Other FAQs about Electricity
- Can I choose the electricity supplier where I live?
- Can I generate and sell electricity to an electric utility?
- Does EIA have city or county-level energy consumption and price data?
- Does EIA have county-level energy production data?
- Does EIA have data on peak and hourly electricity demand?
- Does EIA have electricity prices by state?
- Does EIA have information on the service territories of U.S. electric utilities?
- Does EIA have maps or information on the location of electric power plants and transmission lines?
- Does EIA publish electric utility rate, tariff, and demand charge data?
- How is electricity used in U.S. homes?
- How many and what kind of power plants are there in the United States?
- How many nuclear power plants are in the U.S. and where are they located?
- How many smart meters are installed in the U.S. and who has them?
- How much coal, natural gas, or petroleum is used to generate a kilowatt-hour of electricity?
- How much does it cost to build different types of power plants in the United States?
- How much does it cost to generate electricity with different types of power plants?
- How much electricity does a typical nuclear power plant generate?
- How much electricity does an American home use?
- How much electricity is lost in transmission and distribution in the United States?
- How much electricity is used for cooling in the United States?
- How much electricity is used for lighting in the United States?
- How much energy is consumed in the world by each sector?
- How much of U.S. carbon dioxide emissions are associated with electricity generation?
- How old are U.S. power plants?
- What is U.S. electricity generation by energy source?
- What is a capacity factor?
- What is the difference between electricity generation capacity and electricity generation?
- What is the efficiency of different types of power plants?
- What is the outlook for home heating fuel prices this winter?
- What percentage of world energy consumption and electricity generation comes from renewable energy?
- What types and amounts of energy are produced in each state?
- Where can I find information on individual power plants in the U.S.?