How is electricity used in U.S. homes?
The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) publishes projections for U.S. residential sector electricity consumption by type of major end use in the Annual Energy Outlook1.
| End use | Billion kilowatthours | Share of total |
|---|---|---|
| Space cooling | 250 | 16% |
| Space heating | 219 | 14% |
| Water heating | 176 | 11% |
| Refrigeration | 87 | 6% |
| Lighting | 67 | 4% |
| Clothes dryers | 65 | 4% |
| Televisions and related equipment2 | 54 | 4% |
| Computers and related equipment3 | 35 | 2% |
| Furnace fans and boiler circulation pumps | 26 | 2% |
| Freezers | 20 | 1% |
| Cooking | 16 | 1% |
| Clothes washers4 | 11 | 1% |
| Dishwashers4 | 8 | 1% |
| Other uses5 | 507 | 33% |
| Total consumption | 1,542 | |
| 1 Annual Energy Outlook, Reference case, Table 4: Residential sector key indicators and consumption. 2 Includes televisions, set-top boxes, home theater systems, DVD players, and video game consoles. 3 Includes desktop and laptop computers, monitors, and networking equipment. 4 Does not include water heating. 5 Includes small electric devices, heating elements, exterior lights, outdoor grills, pool and spa heaters, backup electricity generators, and motors not listed above. Does not include electric vehicle charging. | ||
EIA conducts the Residential Energy Consumption Survey (RECS). The RECS includes detailed data on the types of electrical devices (appliances, electronics, and lighting) in U.S. households and electricity consumption by type of end use.
Learn more:
Energy Explained: Energy use in homes
Last updated: March 28, 2023