Frequently Asked Questions
How much electricity is used for lighting in the United States?
The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) estimates that in 2015, about 404 billion kilowatthours (kWh) of electricity were used for lighting by the residential sector and the commercial sector in the United States. This was about 15% of the total electricity consumed by both of these sectors and about 10% of total U.S. electricity consumption.
Residential lighting consumption was about 145 billion kWh or about 10% of total residential electricity consumption in 2015.
The commercial sector, which includes commercial and institutional buildings, and public street and highway lighting, consumed about 258 billion kWh for lighting, equal to about 19% of commercial sector electricity consumption in 2015. EIA does not have an estimate specifically for public street and highway lighting.
In 2010, 52 billion kWh were consumed for lighting in manufacturing facilities, which was equal to about 1.3% of total U.S. electricity consumption in 2010.1
1 This is the most recent data available at the time that this FAQ was updated.
Learn more:
EIA model-based estimates and projections for energy use in the residential and commercial sectors in Table 4 and Table 5 of the Annual Energy Outlook (reference case)
U.S. Department of Energy market studes on lighting
Last updated: June 9, 2016
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