Contents
- Household energy consumption statistics: U.S. annual totals and fuel mix
- Household energy consumption statistics: heating, cooling, and appliance end uses
- Household energy consumption statistics by climate region and census division
- Household energy consumption statistics by home type and floor area
- Household energy consumption statistics by household size and income
- Household energy consumption statistics by state
- Sources
Household energy consumption statistics: U.S. annual totals and fuel mix
The U.S. Energy Information Administration’s Residential Energy Consumption Survey (RECS) reports that primary occupied homes in the 50 states and the District of Columbia used 9,481 trillion Btu of site energy in 2020. The estimate covers 123.53 million homes, and average use was 76.8 million Btu per household using the fuel. This is a survey-year estimate for 2020, not a current-year reading. The national scope excludes vacant housing, seasonal units, second homes, military houses, and group quarters. Source: EIA Table CE2.1, 2020 annual household site fuel consumption
Electricity and natural gas were the largest listed fuel categories by total site energy. Electricity use was 4,453 trillion Btu, while natural gas use was 4,241 trillion Btu. The table also records 396 trillion Btu of fuel oil or kerosene and 391 trillion Btu of propane. These figures are annual totals across the covered homes; they are not per-home averages. The table’s reported total can differ slightly from the sum of components because estimates are rounded. Source: EIA Table CE2.1
| 2020 household fuel measure | Reported value |
|---|---|
| Primary occupied U.S. homes | 123.53 million |
| Total site energy | 9,481 trillion Btu |
| Electricity | 4,453 trillion Btu |
| Natural gas | 4,241 trillion Btu |
| Fuel oil or kerosene | 396 trillion Btu |
| Propane | 391 trillion Btu |
| Average site energy per household using the fuel | 76.8 million Btu |
The physical-unit averages clarify that fuel-specific denominators differ. Among homes using electricity, average annual electricity use was 10,566 kWh per household. Among homes using natural gas, average annual use was 563 ccf; among propane-using homes, it was 387 gallons. These are averages for households using each respective fuel, so they should not be interpreted as averages for every U.S. home. Source: EIA Table CE2.1, physical units
The tables describe site energy, meaning energy consumed at the home. Their listed fuel scope excludes biomass, coal, district steam, and solar thermal consumption, while including electricity generated by on-site solar photovoltaic systems. As a result, the figures are a defined accounting of household site use rather than a complete inventory of every energy source or upstream energy requirement. Source: EIA Table CE2.1
Household energy consumption statistics: heating, cooling, and appliance end uses
End-use estimates offer another view of the 9,481 trillion Btu national total. In 2020, space heating accounted for 1,737 trillion Btu, water heating for 866 trillion Btu, and air conditioning for 352 trillion Btu. The space-heating category includes main and secondary space heating. These are national totals, not estimates of what an individual household necessarily used. Source: EIA Table CE3.1, 2020 annual household site end-use consumption
The table lists refrigerators at 2,501 trillion Btu. It also assigns 4,026 trillion Btu to “Other,” a category for end uses not shown in CE3.1. That broad category is substantial in the published accounting, but it does not identify the separate activities or equipment included. It should be read as a residual grouping defined by the table, not as a single appliance or specific household behavior. Source: EIA Table CE3.1
| 2020 end use | Total site energy | Average per household using end use |
|---|---|---|
| Space heating | 1,737 trillion Btu | 34.4 million Btu |
| Water heating | 866 trillion Btu | 14.1 million Btu |
| Air conditioning | 352 trillion Btu | 7.9 million Btu |
| Refrigerators | 2,501 trillion Btu | 2.9 million Btu |
| Other end uses not shown | 4,026 trillion Btu | 20.2 million Btu |
The per-household column uses a specific denominator: households using that end use. For example, 34.4 million Btu is the average annual site energy for homes using space heating, and 7.9 million Btu is the average for homes using air conditioning. The figures should not be added as if they were mutually exclusive household groups: a home may use several end uses. Nor should the national total for one end use be compared directly with its per-household average without accounting for the different units and populations. Source: EIA Table CE3.1
Together, the total and average columns answer different questions. Total consumption describes the aggregate across homes; the average gives a per-user figure for households associated with that end use. The reported data identify patterns in the 2020 survey year, but do not establish why one end use’s total or average is larger than another’s. Source: EIA Table CE3.1
Household energy consumption statistics by climate region and census division
Across the four census regions, 2020 average site energy use per household was 96.9 million Btu in the Midwest, 89.2 million Btu in the Northeast, 66.5 million Btu in the South, and 64.6 million Btu in the West. The table labels this total average per household using fuels. These are regional averages, not regional totals, and do not provide a direct comparison of the total energy consumed by each region. Source: EIA Table CE2.1
The climate-region figures use a different grouping. Average site energy was 95.2 million Btu per household in the combined Very cold and Cold regions; 76.9 million Btu in Mixed-humid; 60.2 million Btu in Marine; 58.9 million Btu in the combined Mixed-dry and Hot-dry regions; and 58.6 million Btu in Hot-humid. These categories should remain distinct from census regions: they describe climate classifications, not the Northeast, Midwest, South, and West divisions. Source: EIA Table CE3.1, climate-region section
| Geographic grouping | Area | Average site energy per household, 2020 |
|---|---|---|
| Census region | Midwest | 96.9 million Btu |
| Census region | Northeast | 89.2 million Btu |
| Census region | South | 66.5 million Btu |
| Census region | West | 64.6 million Btu |
| Climate region | Very cold and Cold | 95.2 million Btu |
| Climate region | Mixed-humid | 76.9 million Btu |
| Climate region | Marine | 60.2 million Btu |
| Climate region | Mixed-dry and Hot-dry | 58.9 million Btu |
| Climate region | Hot-humid | 58.6 million Btu |
The two classifications reveal variation in reported averages, but the figures alone do not identify what accounts for the differences. Climate and census categories group homes in different ways, and the values are survey estimates for 2020. They should not be presented as current measurements or as predictions for individual households. Sources: EIA Tables CE2.1 and CE3.1 · CE3.1
Household energy consumption statistics by home type and floor area
Average site energy use differed across the reported home types in 2020. Single-family detached homes averaged 94.6 million Btu per household, compared with 67.1 million Btu for single-family attached homes. Apartments in buildings with 2–4 units averaged 53.5 million Btu, and apartments in buildings with 5 or more units averaged 33.7 million Btu. Mobile homes averaged 61.3 million Btu. Each value describes a home-type group average, not a total for all homes of that type. Source: EIA Table CE3.1, housing unit type section
| Home type | Average site energy per household, 2020 |
|---|---|
| Single-family detached | 94.6 million Btu |
| Single-family attached | 67.1 million Btu |
| Apartments in buildings with 2–4 units | 53.5 million Btu |
| Apartments in buildings with 5 or more units | 33.7 million Btu |
| Mobile homes | 61.3 million Btu |
The floor-area grouping shows a progressive rise in the reported averages across the five listed bands. Homes under 1,000 square feet averaged 42.1 million Btu. The average was 61.7 million Btu for homes from 1,000 to 1,499 square feet, 80.0 million Btu for 1,500 to 1,999 square feet, 91.5 million Btu for 2,000 to 2,499 square feet, and 104.0 million Btu for 2,500 to 2,999 square feet. These are category averages and preserve the source’s square-foot ranges. Source: EIA Table CE3.1, total square footage section
The home-type and floor-area rows are separate ways of grouping homes, and they should not be combined as if they were a cross-tabulation. The provided measures do not isolate floor area within each home type or home type within each floor-area range. Therefore, these averages describe observed categories without showing how one characteristic relates to another after accounting for the rest. Source: EIA Table CE3.1
Household energy consumption statistics by household size and income
In 2020, average site energy use generally rose across the reported household-size categories. One-member households averaged 54.9 million Btu; two-member households, 78.4 million Btu; three-member households, 86.6 million Btu; and four-member households, 92.8 million Btu. The average was 94.9 million Btu for five-member households and 102.2 million Btu for households with 6 or more members. Each figure is a per-household average for the named group. Source: EIA Table CE3.1, number of household members sections
| Household members | Average site energy per household, 2020 |
|---|---|
| 1 member | 54.9 million Btu |
| 2 members | 78.4 million Btu |
| 3 members | 86.6 million Btu |
| 4 members | 92.8 million Btu |
| 5 members | 94.9 million Btu |
| 6 or more members | 102.2 million Btu |
The income observations cover 3 lower annual household-income categories. Households reporting income below $5,000 averaged 56.5 million Btu. The average was 51.9 million Btu among households reporting $5,000 to $9,999 and 57.4 million Btu for those reporting $10,000 to $19,999. These values describe the reported income bands and should not be extended to higher income groups, which are not included in these observations. Source: EIA Table CE3.1, 2020 annual household income section
Household size and income are separate classifications in the table. The figures do not show energy use jointly by household size and income, nor do they explain the reasons for differences between categories. They are useful for describing the recorded 2020 averages while keeping the population definition and limits of each comparison clear. Source: EIA Table CE3.1
Household energy consumption statistics by state
State-level estimates add geographic detail, but the available measures are not identical for every state. Missouri homes used 215.8 trillion Btu of site energy in total in 2020, including 109.0 trillion Btu for space heating. This is a state total, not a per-capita or per-household figure. The other listed state observations are average site energy per household, so they belong in a separate comparison. Source: EIA Table CE3.1ST, state end-use consumption
| State | Average site energy per household, 2020 |
|---|---|
| New Jersey | 102.9 million Btu |
| New Hampshire | 91.1 million Btu |
| North Dakota | 94.3 million Btu |
| Montana | 87.6 million Btu |
| Ohio | 93.6 million Btu |
| New York | 82.3 million Btu |
| Nevada | 76.7 million Btu |
| North Carolina | 62.7 million Btu |
The state averages show a range among the selected states: New Jersey’s reported average was 102.9 million Btu per household, while North Carolina’s was 62.7 million Btu. The intervening figures are shown above with their state labels. This is not a complete ranking of all states, and the values should not be treated as the full set of state estimates. They describe 2020 site energy use, with each average expressed per household. Source: EIA Table CE3.1ST
The state table also reports total site energy and space-heating use for Missouri, but comparable totals for the other listed states are not part of these observations. Keeping that distinction visible avoids comparing Missouri’s aggregate consumption with other states’ per-household averages. All figures in this section are historical 2020 survey estimates. Source: EIA Table CE3.1ST
Sources
- Table CE2.1 Annual household site fuel consumption in the United States—totals and averages, 2020
- Table CE3.1 Annual household site end-use consumption in the United States—totals and averages, 2020
- CE3.1ST Annual household site end-use consumption in United States homes by state—totals and averages, 2020