How is electricity used in U.S. homes?
U.S. residential sector electricity consumption by major end uses in 2017, as projected in the Annual Energy Outlook 2018:
End use | Billion kWh | Share of total |
| Space cooling | 212 | 15% |
| Water heating | 131 | 10% |
| Lighting | 129 | 9% |
| Refrigeration | 100 | 7% |
| Space heating | 86 | 6% |
| Televisions and related equipment1 | 81 | 6% |
| Clothes dryers | 56 | 4% |
| Furnace fans and boiler circulation pumps | 32 | 2% |
| Computers and related equipment2 | 31 | 2% |
| Cooking | 31 | 2% |
| Dishwashers3 | 28 | 2% |
| Freezers | 21 | 2% |
| Clothes washers3 | 7 | 1% |
| Other uses4 | 430 | 31% |
| Total consumption | 1,374 |
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: February 8, 2018
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