How You Use Energy

Did you know that energy consumption in the United States has increased 26 percent during the past 10 years?  Your bill has probably increased during the past few years due in part to the increased use of computers and other electronics.

(http://www.senate.gov/~schumer/SchumerWebsite/media/energy.pdf)

Demand for electricity has grown over the past decade due in part to the increased use of computers and other electronics as Information Technology has become an increasingly important part of the information-based economy.

• US consumption of electricity is expected to increase by 22 percent over the next 10 years, from 3.62 billion megawatt hours (MwH) to 4.41 billion MwH.
• Over the past 10 years, US demand for electricity has grown by 26 percent, from 2.87 billion MwH to 3.62 billion MwH, while electricity supply has grown by only 24 percent, from 3.07 billion MwH to 3.81 billion MwH.

Nearly everything you can plug into the wall has a label telling you how much electricity the device uses.  For example, a refrigerator label could say it uses 300 watts.  That is the maximum amount of electricity the device would use if the compressor was running.

Many people have replaced older appliances like refrigerators, washers and dryers, with newer more energy efficient ones, yet your bill may have still increased.  This is a good practice, as today’s appliances tend to use as much as 50-75 percent less energy than models from 1990 or before.  However, many people now have two, or even more, refrigerators, a freezer, microwave oven, dishwasher and numerous other counter-top cooking appliances, which all use electricity. 

And, you may have many other devices that use electricity in your home such as multiple televisions, computers, cell phone and camera chargers and stereos.

Did you know?

1. The typical U.S. family spends almost $1,500 a year on utility bills. About 60 percent is in the form of electricity; the remainder comes mostly from natural gas and oil.  http://www.eia.doe.gov/kids/energyfacts/saving/
   efficiency/savingenergy.html
2. Plasma TVs consume about four times the electricity as recharging a plug-in hybrid.
   http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/07/plasma-tv-television-plug-in-cars-electric.php
3. 42 percent of an average family’s energy bills is spent to keep homes at a comfortable temperature.
   http://www.eia.doe.gov/kids/energyfacts/saving/
   efficiency/savingenergy.html
4. If you replace 25 percent of your light bulbs with fluorescents, you can save about 50 percent on your lighting bill.  Each CFL you install can save you $30 to $60 over the bulb’s life.
   http://www.eia.doe.gov/kids/energyfacts/saving/
   efficiency/savingenergy.html
5. You can lose up to 60 percent of your heated air before it reaches the register if your ducts aren’t insulated and they travel through unheated spaces such as the attic or crawl space.
   http://www1.eere.energy.gov/consumer/tips/pdfs/
   energy_savers.pdf
6. You can save as much as 10 percent a year on your heating and cooling bills by simply turning your thermostat back 10 percent to 15 percent for 8 hours.
   http://www1.eere.energy.gov/consumer/tips/pdfs/
   energy_savers.pdf
7. When you use electricity to cook a pot of rice for 1 hour, you use 1000 watt-hours of electricity! One thousand watt-hours equals 1 kilowatt-hour or 1 kWh.  The average U.S. household consumes about 11,000 kWh per year.
   http://www1.eere.energy.gov/consumer/tips/pdfs/
   energy_savers.pdf
8. About 90 percent of energy used for washing clothes is for heating the water.
   http://www1.eere.energy.gov/consumer/tips/pdfs/
   energy_savers.pdf
9. In the average home, 75 percent of electricity used to power home electronics is consumed while the products are turned off.  Many appliances continue to draw a small amount of power when they are switched off.  These “phantom” loads occur in most appliances that use electricity, such as VCR’s, televisions, stereos, computers, and kitchen appliances. http://www1.eere.energy.gov/consumer/tips/pdfs/
   energy_savers.pdf
10. About 90 percent of U.S. electricity is generated by three fuels: coal, nuclear, and natural gas.
    http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/energy_in_brief/electricity.cfm