The Average Household Power Capacity

Average Power Consumption

• According to a 2004 study conducted for the California Energy Commission, U.S. per capita electricity usage is 12,000 kilowatt hours per year. The annual per capita usage of natural gas varies by location, but according to a study published by the U.S. Energy Information Administration, usage ranges from a low of 2,200 cubic feet in Hawaii to a high of 261,500 cubic feet in Louisiana. The use of heating oil also varies regionally, but USEIA data from 2009 shows an average winter heating oil usage of 186.5 gallons per household.

Electricity

• Electricity usually is delivered to an American home via a 100- or 200-amp electric service panel and distributed through the house on 120-volt circuits. The majority of household electrical use goes to heating, lighting and appliances, with those uses consuming about two-thirds of the total household electricity. The remaining third is divided among refrigerators, water heaters and air conditioners.

Natural Gas

• Natural gas is a fossil fuel most often delivered to homes via pipeline. It is commonly used to power furnaces, clothes dryers, ovens and cooktops. Natural gas is more readily available in some regions than in others and is more widely used where it is easier to get. In some areas, natural gas is used to produce electricity. Gas water heaters and furnaces use more power than do electric heaters, but because natural gas is cheaper than electricity, gas appliances are typically more cost-effective than are their electric counterparts.

Fuel Oil

• Fuel oil is a fossil fuel produced by distilling petroleum, and it is widely used as a heating fuel in some areas of the country. According to the USEIA, about 8.1 million homes in America use fuel oil for heat, most of them in the Northeast. In those homes, an average of 730 gallons per home were used for heating in 2007.