Household electricity statistics show how consumption varies by end use, climate, housing characteristics, geography, and billing category. The figures below focus mainly on U.S. households and occupied housing units, with measurement years and definitions stated explicitly.
Key Household Electricity Statistics
The most broadly useful household electricity statistics include:
- In 2020, the average U.S. household consumed about 10,500 kWh of electricity per year.
- In 2020, air conditioning represented 19% of U.S. residential site electricity consumption.
- In 2020, space heating represented 12% of U.S. residential site electricity consumption.
- In 2020, water heating represented 12% of U.S. residential site electricity consumption.
- In 2020, homes using electric space heating averaged 2,484 kWh for that end use in the United States.
- In 2020, homes using air conditioning averaged 2,318 kWh for air conditioning in the United States.
- In 2020, homes with electric water heating averaged 2,706 kWh for water heating in the United States.
- In 2020, average residential electricity sales were 4,437 kWh per person, 1% above 2019 in the United States.
- From 2010 to 2020, per-capita U.S. residential electricity use fell 5%.
- In 2020, state per-capita residential electricity use ranged from 2,018 kWh in Hawaii to 6,663 kWh in Louisiana.
- In 2020, about 39% of U.S. homes used electricity as their primary heating source.
- In 2020, about 64% of Southern homes used electricity as their primary heating source, compared with about 25% outside the South.
- From 1980 to 2020, the share of U.S. homes using air conditioning rose from 57% to 89%.
- From 1980 to 2020, the share of U.S. homes with central air conditioning rose from 27% to 67%.
- In 2023, 125,196,693 occupied U.S. housing units were charged for electricity, according to the American Community Survey.
- In 2023, 29,170,300 occupied U.S. housing units reported monthly electricity costs of $250 or more.
Contents
- Key Household Electricity Statistics
- National Household Electricity Consumption and End Uses
- Household Electricity Data by Region and Climate
- Household Electricity Statistics by Home Type and Tenure
- Household Electricity Use by Home Size and Household Size
- Household Electricity Trends, Heating, and State Variation
- Household Electricity Costs and Affordability Indicators
National Household Electricity Consumption and End Uses
The U.S. Energy Information Administration estimated average household electricity use at about 10,500 kWh per year in 2020. This is an EIA household-use estimate and is distinct from utility-customer sales.
EIA’s 2020 residential site-electricity estimate identifies the following major shares:
| End use | Share of residential site electricity, 2020 |
|---|---|
| Air conditioning | 19% |
| Space heating | 12% |
| Water heating | 12% |
Source: Electricity use in homes – U.S. Energy Information Administration. These are RECS end-use estimates for U.S. households.
Among homes using the named end use, the 2020 RECS estimates were:
- Space heating averaged 2,484 kWh per household using that end use.
- Air conditioning averaged 2,318 kWh per household using it, including evaporative coolers.
- Electric water heating averaged 2,706 kWh per household using electric water heating.
- Lighting averaged 654 kWh per household using the end use, while refrigerators averaged 680 kWh.
- Reporting homes with electric-vehicle charging averaged 2,363 kWh for that end use; EIA notes the population was small and emerging.
Source: Table CE5.3a Detailed household site electricity end-use consumption, part 1—averages, 2020. The CE5.3a values are per-household averages among users, not all-household averages, and values are rounded.
RECS site electricity includes electricity generated by on-site solar photovoltaic systems. Small standby power for devices that some households own but do not use is excluded.
Household Electricity Data by Region and Climate
Climate and geography strongly affect which end uses dominate. The 2020 RECS regional averages below are all measured in kWh per household using the named end use.
| U.S. census region | Space heating | Air conditioning | Water heating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northeast | 2,151 kWh | 1,395 kWh | 2,421 kWh |
| Midwest | 3,109 kWh | 1,522 kWh | 2,741 kWh |
| South | 2,603 kWh | 3,304 kWh | 2,798 kWh |
| West | 1,840 kWh | 2,059 kWh | 2,575 kWh |
Source: Table CE5.3a Detailed household site electricity end-use consumption, part 1—averages, 2020. These are comparable RECS regional averages, not weather-normalized results.
Climate-region figures show a similar contrast. Average air-conditioning electricity ranged from 902 kWh in Marine homes to 4,173 kWh in Hot-humid homes, while space-heating electricity was 2,876 kWh in Very cold/Cold homes and 1,914 kWh in Hot-humid homes.
Urban and rural housing also differed for selected end uses in 2020:
- Rural homes averaged 4,129 kWh for space heating, compared with 2,038 kWh in urban homes.
- Rural homes averaged 3,227 kWh for water heating, compared with 2,522 kWh in urban homes.
- Rural homes averaged 2,323 kWh for air conditioning, compared with 2,317 kWh in urban homes.
The RECS classification follows Census-based urban and rural criteria, and the averages apply to homes using each end use. Source: Table CE5.3a Detailed household site electricity end-use consumption, part 1—averages, 2020.
Household Electricity Statistics by Home Type and Tenure
The 2020 RECS estimates also distinguish housing structure and tenure. These categories should not be read as a single standardized household total because each figure is an end-use average for homes using that end use.
| Housing category | End use | Average electricity use, 2020 |
|---|---|---|
| Single-family detached homes | Space heating | 10,220 kWh |
| Buildings with five or more apartments | Air conditioning | 4,010 kWh |
| Mobile homes | Water heating | 11,450 kWh |
| Owned single-family homes | Water heating | 10,010 kWh |
| Rented apartments | Water heating | 7,030 kWh |
| Owned single-family homes | Lighting | 2,600 kWh |
Source: Table CE5.3a Detailed household site electricity end-use consumption, part 1—averages, 2020. “Rented” includes households occupying without paying rent, and the listed figures are homes using the relevant end use.
The broad spread across these housing categories illustrates why a national household average cannot describe every dwelling. Building form, equipment, occupancy, and tenure are associated with different electricity-use profiles, but the supplied RECS figures do not establish causal effects.
Household Electricity Use by Home Size and Household Size
Home size and the number of household members provide additional context for interpreting end-use estimates. Square footage in RECS is respondent-reported or imputed, and its definition includes conditioned basements, attics, and attached garages where applicable.
- Homes under 1,000 square feet averaged 1,870 kWh for clothes-dryer electricity in 2020.
- Homes of 3,000 square feet or more averaged 11,630 kWh for water heating and 3,550 kWh for lighting.
- One-member households averaged 4,870 kWh for water heating.
- Four-member households averaged 14,720 kWh for water heating.
- Households with six or more members averaged 4,320 kWh for air conditioning.
Source: Table CE5.3a Detailed household site electricity end-use consumption, part 1—averages, 2020. These are estimates for households using the named end use, rather than all households in each size group.
The distinction matters when comparing household electricity statistics: a large end-use average can describe users of a particular appliance or system without representing the total electricity consumed by every household in that category.
Household Electricity Trends, Heating, and State Variation
EIA’s retail-sales series provides a different measurement lens from RECS site end-use consumption. Residential electricity sales averaged 4,437 kWh per person in 2020, 1% above 2019, and per-capita residential electricity use fell 5% from 2010 to 2020.
In 2020, per-capita residential electricity sales ranged from 2,018 kWh in Hawaii to 6,663 kWh in Louisiana. Arizona recorded the largest state increase from 2019 to 2020 at 10%, while Nevada, Alaska, and California each recorded a 9% increase.
Source: Per capita U.S. residential electricity use was flat in 2020, but varied by state. These figures are retail sales divided by population, not RECS site-consumption estimates.
Heating choices also varied by geography:
- About 39% of U.S. homes used electricity as their primary heating source in 2020.
- About 64% of Southern homes heated primarily with electricity, compared with about 25% outside the South.
- About 41% of North Dakota homes used electricity as their primary heating source.
The long-term equipment picture changed as well. The share of U.S. homes using air conditioning rose from 57% in 1980 to 89% in 2020, while the share with central air conditioning rose from 27% to 67%.
Source: Electricity use in homes – U.S. Energy Information Administration and Per capita U.S. residential electricity use was flat in 2020, but varied by state. The heating figures describe primary heating source, while the air-conditioning figures describe equipment adoption.
Household Electricity Costs and Affordability Indicators
The 2023 American Community Survey measured reported monthly electricity-cost categories for occupied housing units. It counted 125,196,693 occupied housing units charged for electricity and 6,135,667 where electricity was not charged, not used, or included in other fees.
| Reported monthly electricity cost | Occupied housing units, 2023 ACS |
|---|---|
| Under $50 | 24,755,958 |
| $50–$99 | 27,068,662 |
| $100–$149 | 20,817,861 |
| $150–$199 | 15,787,425 |
| $250 or more | 29,170,300 |
Source: B25132 Monthly Electricity Costs, 2023 ACS 1-Year Estimates. The ACS universe is occupied housing units, estimates carry margins of error, and the $250-or-more category is open-ended rather than a mean or maximum.
A separate ACS entry counted 7,596,487 occupied housing units reporting monthly electricity costs below $50 in 2023. This should be treated as the ACS category estimate and not combined with the “under $50” table value without checking the table’s category definitions.
The EIA also estimated that electricity represented about 44% of residential-sector end-use energy consumption in 2020. Natural gas was used in 58% of U.S. homes and represented about 43% of residential-sector end-use energy, providing context about the broader residential energy mix rather than a measure of electricity spending.
Source: Electricity use in homes – U.S. Energy Information Administration. ACS monthly cost bins measure reported billing, not kWh consumption, while the EIA energy shares measure end-use energy rather than household spending.