The Average Electricity for a House in America

Air Conditioning

• The number one use of energy in the average American home is air conditioning, according to the DOE. Air conditioning accounted for 17.9 percent of all residential energy use in the U.S. in 2009. Reducing the amount of time that your air conditioning unit runs during hot summer months can noticeably reduce your monthly electricity bill. Setting your thermostat higher during the day reduces the workload for your air conditioner and saves you money. Turning your air conditioner off and opening windows on cool nights can further increase your savings.

Lighting

• Lighting accounted for 15.3 percent of all residential energy use during 2009. Installing high efficiency compact fluorescent or LED light bulbs can provide significant energy savings over a long period. Other options for reducing energy consumption include installing timers to shut off lights late at night and using lower wattage bulbs. Solar-powered outdoor lights can also reduce energy consumption in homes that have outdoor lighting.

Heating

• Roughly 9 percent of the average American energy bill is dedicated to costs associated with heating the home. Lowering your thermostat is the most traditional way to decrease heating costs; however, more satisfying and effective is to improve your insulation. Adding insulation to your home is an effective way of decreasing both heating and cooling costs. Some common areas around the home that benefit from additional insulation include gaps around doors, windows, washer and dryer lines, breaker boxes, electrical outlets and phone outlets. Plugging these gaps with foam insulation is an effective way to increase your heating and cooling efficiency without a large investment of time or money.

Appliances

• Household appliances account for a significant percentage of household energy use. You have a variety of ways to reduce energy consumption from appliances. Appliances that conform with the Environmental Protection Agency's Energy Star rating system are more energy efficient in use and draw less electricity when they are turned off. Unplugging appliances when they are not in use prevents a constant drain on your wallet. Connecting the upper plugs of the electrical outlets in your living room to the light switch provides a convenient way to unplug your home theater equipment. Other convenient methods for limiting the passive power usage of appliances include automatic timers and surge protectors.