How is electricity used in U.S. homes?
U.S. residential sector electricity consumption by major end uses in 2018, as projected in the Annual Energy Outlook 2019:
End use | Billion kWh | Share of total |
| Space cooling | 214 | 15% |
| Space heating | 207 | 14% |
| Water heating | 174 | 12% |
| Lighting | 91 | 6% |
| Refrigeration | 87 | 6% |
| Televisions and related equipment1 | 62 | 4% |
| Clothes dryers | 60 | 4% |
| Computers and related equipment2 | 26 | 2% |
| Furnace fans and boiler circulation pumps | 25 | 2% |
| Freezers | 20 | 1% |
| Cooking | 16 | 1% |
| Clothes washers3 | 10 | 1% |
| Dishwashers3 | 7 | 1% |
| Other uses4 | 460 | 31% |
| Total consumption | 1,462 |
1 Includes televisions, set-top boxes, home theater systems, DVD players, and video game consoles.
2 Includes desktop and laptop computers, monitors, and networking equipment.
3 Does not include water heating.
4 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.
Learn more:
Annual Energy Outlook, Reference case, Table 4: Residential sector key indicators and consumption
Residential Energy Consumption Survey (RECS)
Last updated: January 28, 2019
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