- Who is represented in the RECS?
- Does EIA have official EIA energy consumption statistics for counties, cities, and ZIP codes?
- What are the sources for EIA’s statistics on household energy consumption and expenditures?
- Where can I find more information about the statistical models used to estimate how energy is used within U.S. homes?
- Why doesn't the average household consumption by fuel add up to the average consumption for all fuels?
- I found a table that's useful, but it's not tabulated the way I need it. Can EIA provide custom tabulations for me?
- Why do some RECS consumption statistics differ from data in other EIA data products and DOE reports?
- What are the RECS Household Survey response rates over time?
1. Who is represented in the RECS?
The RECS is a sample survey with a target population of all occupied housing units in the 50 states and the District of Columbia (DC) that are used as primary residences. Vacant homes, seasonal housing units, and group quarters (such as dormitories, nursing homes, prisons, and military barracks) are excluded. Housing units located on military installations are included. Addresses are statistically selected using a stratified, random sample. Each responding household has a final analysis weight (NWEIGHT), which is used to produce RECS estimates. The average NWEIGHT for the 2024 RECS is 7,948, meaning that, on average, each RECS household represents itself and 7,947 other households like it.
2. Does EIA have official EIA energy consumption statistics for counties, cities, and ZIP codes?
The 2020 and 2024 RECS include key estimates for all 50 states and DC. Currently, EIA does not produce any energy consumption and end use statistics for sub-state geographies.
3. What are the sources for EIA’s statistics on household energy consumption and expenditures?
RECS estimates are based on two surveys and a modeling and calibration process. Every four years, EIA conducts RECS with a sample of occupants in single-family homes, apartments, and mobile homes across the United States. Selected respondents complete a web or mail Household Survey on structural characteristics of the housing unit, energy consuming behavior, appliances, and equipment. Following the Household Survey, EIA collects energy billing data for sampled housing units from their energy suppliers. EIA uses energy characteristics and auxiliary data to develop engineering-based model estimates for many energy end-uses for the household respondents. These modeled estimates are then calibrated to the billing data to produce final end-use estimates for each fuel.
4. Where can I find more information about the statistical models used to estimate how energy is used within U.S. homes?
The 2020 Residential Energy Consumption Survey: Technical Documentation Summary provides a detailed discussion of the end-use modeling and calibration process used in the 2020 RECS.
5. Why doesn’t the average household consumption by fuel add up to the average consumption for all fuels?
Different numbers of households use different fuels, so a weighted average has to be calculated. The average household consumption of each fuel is only the average of households using that fuel.
6. I found a table that’s useful, but it’s not tabulated the way I need it. Can EIA provide custom tabulations for me?
EIA provides a public microdata file so users can conduct their own analyses and tabulations. Because this survey uses complex sample design methods (unequal probabilities of selection, stratification, etc.), you should apply the variable NWEIGHT in any analyses to adjust for these design features. This ensures you will get the correct means and totals in your work. You will also have to use statistical software to correctly estimate standard errors in tests of statistical significance, given the complex RECS sample design. EIA provides a guide to correctly using the microdata.
7. Why do some RECS consumption statistics differ from data in other EIA data products and DOE reports?
The Monthly Energy Review (MER), State Energy Data System (SEDS), Annual Energy Outlook (AEO), and Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO) publish estimates and projections for the entire residential sector. RECS data represent estimates for energy use in homes occupied as a primary residence, a subset of all housing units in the residential sector. RECS does not include energy used in seasonal or vacation housing units, common areas of multifamily buildings, or energy consumed in mixed-use buildings that may be classified by energy suppliers as residential.
The MER and SEDS provide historical energy demand information for the entire residential sector. The AEO includes annual projections of energy demand for the residential sector. The estimates and projections that contribute to these three data series come from different sources. The RECS data are produced from household occupant surveys, the actual energy billing data for those households, and statistically modeled energy end-uses. Other programs within EIA and DOE use company-level data by energy sector and fuel, data from equipment/appliance manufacturers, as well as some RECS data to produce estimates for the sector as a whole. Differences in statistical methods also contribute to differences between RECS and other EIA data products.
8. What are the RECS Household Survey response rates over time?
A response rate represents the share of eligible sample units who respond to a given survey. The Residential Energy Consumption Survey (RECS) has collected data on U.S. household energy use since 1978. Residential addresses must be homes occupied as primary residences to be eligible for the survey.
Historically, RECS was conducted using in-person interviewers (by Paper-and-Pencil Interviewing, or PAPI, and later by Computer-Assisted Personal Interviewing, or CAPI). Beginning in 2015, following continued declines in survey response rates and rising costs associated with in-person interviewing, the survey started to transition to self-administered web and mail modes.
The table below presents the overall RECS Household Survey unweighted response rates and numbers of eligible completes across all survey cycles since 1978 and shows a downward trend in response rates over time. Apart from the broader national decline in household survey participation, RECS response rates also vary due to cycle specific factors related to sample design and data collection protocols. Users should consult the public technical methodology documents (shown in the table below) for details when making comparisons across cycles.
Although self-administered modes (web and mail) generally yield lower response rates than interviewer-administered survey modes, they have allowed RECS to obtain substantially higher numbers of completed surveys under the more cost-efficient approach. Additionally, the nonresponse bias analyses conducted for recent cycles showed no major concerns regarding bias or data quality for key RECS estimates. The resulting data remain representative of the target U.S. household population after applying weighting adjustments.
Each RECS cycle also includes an Energy Supplier Survey (ESS), which collects billing data from energy suppliers for the homes that participated in the Household Survey. The ESS is mandatory for energy suppliers whose residential customers were selected in RECS. The overall response rate to the ESS has been high. It has been above 90% since 2009, varying by fuel type. For more information about the Energy Supplier Survey, please consult the Consumption and Expenditures Technical Documentation Summary.
| RECS cycle | Primary data collection mode | Final eligible completes | U.S. overall RECS response rate | Technical methodology document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Self-administered (web or paper) | 16,676 | 31.00% | 2024 Residential Energy Consumption Survey: Household Characteristics Technical Documentation Summary |
| 2020 | Self-administered (web or paper) | 18,496 | 38.60% | 2020 Residential Energy Consumption Survey: Household Characteristics Technical Documentation Summary |
| 2015 | Combination of CAPI and self-administered (web or paper) | 5,686 | 50.80% | 2015 RECS Household Characteristics Technical Documentation Summary |
| 2015 National Pilot | Self-administered (web or paper) | 3,654 | 40.20% | n/a (source not publicly available) |
| 2009 | CAPI | 12,083 | 79.00% | Residential Energy Consumption Survey (RECS) 2009 Technical Documentation-Summary |
| 2005 | CAPI | 4,382 | 78.20% | n/a (source not publicly available) |
| 2001 | CAPI | 4,822 | 76.70% | n/a (source not publicly available) |
| 1997 | CAPI | 5,902 | 81.00% | Residential Energy Consumption Survey 1997 Survey Methods |
| 1993 | PAPI | 7,107 | 81.20% | Residential Energy Consumption Survey Quality Profile |
| 1990 | PAPI | 5,094 | 86.20% | Residential Energy Consumption Survey Quality Profile |
| 1987 | PAPI | 6,228 | 86.70% | Residential Energy Consumption Survey Quality Profile |
| 1984 | PAPI | 5,678 | 84.10% | Residential Energy Consumption Survey Quality Profile |
| 1982 | PAPI | 4,718 | 89.50% | Residential Energy Consumption Survey Quality Profile |
| 1981 | PAPI | 6,266 | 91.60% | Residential Energy Consumption Survey Quality Profile |
| 1980 | PAPI | 6,050 | 91.20% | Residential Energy Consumption Survey Quality Profile |
| 1979 | PAPI | 4,034 | 90.60% | Residential Energy Consumption Survey Quality Profile |
| 1978 | PAPI | 4,079 | 90.50% | Residential Energy Consumption Survey Quality Profile |
| Data source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Residential Energy Consumption Survey (RECS) | ||||
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