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Residential Energy Consumption Survey (RECS)

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Table HC4.1 Electronics in U.S. homes by housing unit type, 20151

Release date: February 2017
Revised date: May 2018

Number of housing units (million)
Housing unit type
  Total U.S.2 Single-family detached Single-family attached Apartment
(2- to 4-unit building)		 Apartment
(5 or more unit building)		 Mobile home
All homes 118.2 73.9 7.0 9.4 21.1 6.8
Number of televisions used            
0 3.3 1.1 Q 0.4 1.5 Q
1 30.0 14.1 2.0 3.7 8.8 1.5
2 39.2 23.7 2.5 3.0 7.3 2.8
3 26.5 18.6 1.6 1.7 3.1 1.5
4 12.3 10.1 0.6 0.4 0.4 0.8
5 or more 7.0 6.3 0.2 Q Q Q
Most-used television: display size            
Less than 28 inches 14.1 7.2 0.9 1.6 3.1 1.3
28 to 39 inches 32.8 18.7 2.0 3.5 6.5 2.1
40 to 59 inches 58.1 39.6 3.5 3.2 9.0 2.8
60 inches or more 9.9 7.4 0.6 0.6 1.0 0.4
Do not use a television 3.3 1.1 Q 0.4 1.5 Q
Most-used television: display type            
LCD 45.3 29.5 2.9 2.9 7.8 2.2
Plasma 16.8 10.3 0.8 1.5 2.8 1.3
LED 40.0 25.9 2.5 2.8 6.6 2.1
Projection 2.1 1.5 Q Q 0.3 Q
Standard tube 10.7 5.6 0.6 1.6 2.0 0.9
Do not use a television 3.3 1.1 Q 0.4 1.5 Q
Most-used television: hours used per weekday            
Less than 1 hour 3.7 1.7 0.2 0.6 1.2 Q
1 to 3 hours 29.8 18.6 2.0 2.4 6.3 0.6
4 to 6 hours 42.8 28.5 2.8 2.5 6.6 2.5
7 to 10 hours 21.6 14.4 1.1 1.6 3.0 1.5
More than 10 hours 17.0 9.7 0.9 2.0 2.6 1.9
Do not use a television 3.3 1.1 Q 0.4 1.5 Q
Most-used television: hours used per weekend day            
Less than 1 hour 3.1 1.4 0.1 0.5 1.0 Q
1 to 3 hours 20.5 12.5 1.2 1.6 4.5 0.7
4 to 6 hours 38.3 25.6 2.5 2.4 6.1 1.7
7 to 10 hours 30.1 20.3 1.7 1.8 4.4 2.0
More than 10 hours 22.9 13.1 1.3 2.6 3.7 2.1
Do not use a television 3.3 1.1 Q 0.4 1.5 Q
Second most-used television: display size            
Less than 28 inches 26.8 17.5 1.5 1.6 3.9 2.2
28 to 39 inches 32.8 22.2 2.1 2.4 4.1 2.0
40 to 59 inches 23.0 17.1 1.2 1.1 2.6 0.9
60 inches or more 2.4 1.9 0.1 Q Q Q
Do not use two televisions 33.2 15.1 2.1 4.1 10.3 1.6
Second most-used television: display type            
LCD 34.2 24.3 2.2 1.8 4.3 1.6
Plasma 9.7 6.1 0.6 0.7 1.7 0.6
LED 26.2 18.9 1.5 1.8 2.6 1.4
Projection 1.2 0.9 Q Q Q Q
Standard tube 13.7 8.6 0.6 0.9 2.1 1.5
Do not use two televisions 33.2 15.1 2.1 4.1 10.3 1.6
Second most-used television: hours used per weekday            
Less than 1 hour 14.9 10.5 1.0 0.9 2.0 0.5
1 to 3 hours 42.0 30.4 2.4 2.1 4.9 2.2
4 to 6 hours 17.8 11.6 0.9 1.4 2.2 1.7
7 to 10 hours 6.4 4.2 0.5 0.4 0.9 0.4
More than 10 hours 4.0 2.1 0.2 0.5 0.8 0.4
Do not use two televisions 33.2 15.1 2.1 4.1 10.3 1.6
Second most-used television: hours used per weekend day            
Less than 1 hour 13.4 9.1 0.8 0.8 1.9 0.8
1 to 3 hours 36.0 26.1 2.2 1.8 3.9 1.9
4 to 6 hours 20.9 14.4 1.2 1.3 2.7 1.4
7 to 10 hours 9.1 6.0 0.4 1.0 1.2 0.5
More than 10 hours 5.6 3.1 0.4 0.3 1.1 0.6
Do not use two televisions 33.2 15.1 2.1 4.1 10.3 1.6
Number of cable or satellite boxes without DVRs used            
0 58.8 34.8 3.1 5.1 12.2 3.6
1 30.8 18.2 2.1 2.8 6.0 1.7
2 16.7 11.6 1.1 0.8 2.3 1.0
3 or more 11.9 9.3 0.8 0.6 0.6 0.6
Number of cable or satellite boxes with DVRs used            
0 64.4 35.0 4.2 6.7 14.6 3.9
1 33.6 23.0 2.0 2.0 4.7 1.9
2 12.2 9.2 0.4 0.4 1.5 0.7
3 or more 8.0 6.7 0.3 Q 0.4 0.3
Number of separate DVRs used (not part of cable or satellite box)            
0 109.9 68.1 6.4 9.0 20.0 6.4
1 6.4 4.3 0.4 0.4 1.0 0.3
2 1.3 1.0 0.1 N Q Q
3 or more 0.6 0.5 Q Q Q Q
Number of DVD or Blu-ray players used            
0 46.2 24.0 2.9 5.0 11.3 3.0
1 49.4 32.8 2.9 3.3 7.8 2.6
2 16.9 12.3 0.9 0.8 1.9 0.9
3 or more 5.7 4.7 0.2 Q Q 0.3
Number of VCRs used            
0 87.1 51.7 5.4 7.8 17.3 4.9
1 26.9 18.9 1.4 1.4 3.5 1.7
2 3.4 2.5 0.2 Q 0.4 Q
3 or more 0.8 0.7 Q Q N Q
Number of Internet streaming devices used            
0 84.4 51.4 4.7 7.2 15.8 5.4
1 24.9 16.0 1.9 1.8 4.2 1.0
2 5.7 3.9 0.2 0.4 0.8 Q
3 or more 3.2 2.6 0.2 Q 0.3 Q
Number of home theater or audio systems used            
0 89.1 52.6 5.4 8.1 17.6 5.3
1 25.8 18.4 1.5 1.1 3.4 1.4
2 2.9 2.5 Q Q Q Q
3 or more 0.4 0.3 Q N Q Q
Number of video game consoles used            
0 74.5 44.9 4.7 5.8 14.5 4.5
1 29.6 19.1 1.6 2.6 4.8 1.6
2 9.5 6.5 0.5 0.7 1.4 0.5
3 or more 4.7 3.4 0.2 0.3 0.6 Q
Have Internet access in the home            
Yes 100.7 65.4 6.2 7.3 16.9 5.0
Have wireless access 87.4 58.3 5.4 5.8 14.0 3.8
Do not have wireless access 13.4 7.1 0.7 1.4 2.9 1.2
No 17.5 8.4 0.8 2.1 4.2 1.8
Number of desktop computers used            
0 69.0 37.9 3.9 7.1 15.6 4.4
1 41.5 29.6 2.7 2.0 5.1 2.1
2 6.5 5.3 0.3 Q 0.4 0.3
3 or more 1.3 1.1 Q Q Q Q
Number of laptop computers used            
0 43.0 24.0 2.6 4.2 8.8 3.4
1 44.6 28.8 2.5 3.3 7.7 2.2
2 21.2 14.0 1.4 1.4 3.6 0.9
3 or more 9.4 7.1 0.5 0.4 1.1 0.3
Number of tablets and e-readers used            
0 50.6 28.2 2.9 5.0 10.7 3.8
1 38.1 23.1 2.8 3.0 7.4 1.9
2 19.0 13.8 0.9 1.0 2.5 0.6
3 or more 10.5 8.8 0.4 0.4 0.5 0.4
Number of smartphones used            
0 28.4 16.4 1.5 2.7 5.2 2.6
1 28.4 15.6 2.0 2.4 6.9 1.5
2 37.3 24.5 2.0 2.6 6.7 1.5
3 or more 24.0 17.4 1.5 1.6 2.3 1.1
Number of other cell phones used            
0 75.6 46.3 4.9 6.1 14.8 3.5
1 28.6 18.2 1.4 2.2 4.5 2.2
2 10.7 7.3 0.5 0.8 1.3 0.9
3 or more 3.3 2.0 0.2 Q 0.6 Q
Number of printers, scanners, copiers, or fax machines            
0 46.7 21.7 2.7 6.0 12.4 3.9
1 61.1 43.8 3.8 3.1 7.8 2.6
2 8.4 6.6 0.5 0.3 0.9 Q
3 or more 2.0 1.8 Q Q Q Q

1Housing characteristics data were collected between August 2015 and April 2016.
2Total U.S. includes all primary occupied housing units in the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Vacant housing units, seasonal units, second homes, military houses, and group quarters are excluded.

Q = Data withheld because either the Relative Standard Error (RSE) was greater than 50% or fewer than 10 cases responded.
N = No cases responded.

Notes:  Because of rounding, data may not sum to totals.  See RECS Terminology for definition of terms used in these tables.

Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Office of Energy Consumption and Efficiency Statistics, Forms EIA-457A and EIA-457C of the 2015 Residential Energy Consumption Survey.