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Table HC5.5 Lighting in U.S. homes by household income, 20151

Release date: February 2017
Revised date: May 2018

Number of housing units (million)
Household income
  Total U.S.2 Less than $20,000 $20,000 to $39,999 $40,000 to $59,999 $60,000 to $79,999 $80,000 to $99,000 $100,000 to $119,999 $120,000 to  $139,999 $140,000 or more
All homes 118.2 22.9 27.3 18.4 15.2 9.7 8.1 5.4 11.2
Indoor light bulbs installed                  
Fewer than 20 46.9 16.4 13.4 7.1 4.6 2.0 1.4 0.7 1.2
20 to 39 41.4 5.2 10.0 7.6 6.3 4.2 3.1 2.1 3.0
40 to 59 18.1 0.7 2.9 2.8 2.9 2.4 2.1 1.4 2.9
60 to 79 7.6 0.2 0.8 0.6 1.0 0.8 1.1 0.9 2.2
80 or more 4.3 0.2 0.3 0.3 0.4 0.3 0.4 0.4 2.0
Indoor light bulbs used at least 4 hours a day                  
0 to 2 31.4 10.1 9.0 4.4 3.4 1.7 1.1 0.6 1.1
3 to 5 33.2 6.5 8.2 6.2 4.6 2.7 1.9 1.1 1.8
6 to 9 19.9 3.2 4.4 3.2 2.8 1.9 1.5 1.1 1.8
10 to 19 23.7 2.5 4.3 3.7 3.0 2.4 2.5 1.7 3.6
20 or more 10.0 0.5 1.4 1.0 1.4 1.0 1.1 0.8 2.8
Incandescent bulbs installed indoors                  
Yes, at least one incandescent bulb 96.8 18.0 22.2 15.0 12.7 8.1 6.7 4.5 9.7
All bulbs are incandescent 13.2 4.4 3.4 2.3 1.2 0.5 0.5 0.3 0.6
Most bulbs are incandescent 23.4 3.5 5.7 3.6 3.5 2.0 1.7 1.0 2.4
About half of bulbs are incandescent 20.9 3.5 4.4 3.3 2.6 2.0 1.7 1.0 2.4
Some bulbs are incandescent 39.4 6.7 8.6 5.7 5.4 3.5 2.8 2.3 4.3
No incandescent bulbs 21.4 4.8 5.1 3.4 2.5 1.6 1.4 0.9 1.5
CFL bulbs installed indoors                  
Yes, at least one CFL bulb 96.0 16.2 21.9 14.9 12.9 8.5 7.0 4.8 9.6
All bulbs are CFL 11.6 3.3 3.2 1.9 1.2 0.7 0.5 0.2 0.5
Most bulbs are CFL 25.9 4.0 5.9 3.8 3.7 2.6 2.0 1.4 2.6
About half of bulbs are CFL 20.9 3.4 4.6 3.5 2.6 2.0 1.6 1.2 1.9
Some bulbs are CFL 37.6 5.6 8.2 5.7 5.3 3.2 2.9 2.0 4.6
No CFL bulbs 22.2 6.6 5.4 3.5 2.4 1.1 1.1 0.6 1.5
LED bulbs installed indoors                  
Yes, at least one LED bulb 33.8 3.3 5.6 4.7 5.1 3.8 3.4 2.5 5.4
All bulbs are LED 1.2 0.3 0.2 0.2 Q Q Q Q 0.2
Most bulbs are LED 4.1 0.5 0.6 0.5 0.6 0.4 0.4 0.3 0.7
About half of bulbs are LED 4.3 0.3 0.5 0.5 0.8 0.6 0.4 0.4 0.8
Some bulbs are LED 24.3 2.3 4.3 3.5 3.6 2.7 2.5 1.7 3.6
No LED bulbs 84.4 19.5 21.7 13.7 10.2 5.8 4.7 2.9 5.8
Timers or dimmers for indoor lighting                  
Yes 35.1 2.8 5.4 4.8 5.2 4.0 3.9 2.8 6.2
No 83.1 20.0 21.9 13.6 10.0 5.7 4.2 2.7 5.0
Outdoor light bulbs installed                  
None 3.4 1.4 0.9 0.5 Q Q Q Q Q
1 to 4 51.6 9.1 13.4 9.4 6.8 4.2 3.3 2.1 3.3
5 to 9 24.0 1.3 4.3 3.7 3.6 2.7 2.5 1.9 4.0
10 or more 8.6 0.5 0.7 0.9 1.1 1.1 1.2 0.7 2.5
Not asked (apartments) 30.5 10.6 8.1 3.9 3.4 1.5 1.1 0.6 1.3
Use motion detectors or light sensors for outdoor lighting                  
Yes 38.0 3.3 7.8 6.2 5.4 4.1 3.5 2.8 4.7
No 46.3 7.6 10.5 7.8 6.2 3.9 3.5 2.0 5.0
No outdoor light bulbs 3.4 1.4 0.9 0.5 Q Q Q Q Q
Not asked (apartments) 30.5 10.6 8.1 3.9 3.4 1.5 1.1 0.6 1.3

 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 households 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.