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In the case of electricity, sales are not exactly the same as total residential electricity use, because sales data do not count electricity that people generate and consume onsite-for example, using rooftop solar panels. This indicator is based on residential retail electricity and natural gas sales.
AIRPORT WEATHER INDICATOR PLUS
Residential electricity and natural gas use cover all 50 states plus D.C., while cooling and heating degree days are shown for the contiguous 48 states plus D.C., as they are not routinely calculated for Alaska and Hawaii. In general, more cooling degree days and fewer heating degree days means a combination of more warm days and warmer temperatures on those days. EPA used a similar method with winter residential natural gas sales, which Figure 2 shows in cubic feet per person.įor reference, Figure 1 also shows summer cooling degree days for each year, while Figure 2 shows winter heating degree days for each year (see the Heating and Cooling Degree Days indicator). population to calculate summer electricity use per capita, which Figure 1 shows in kilowatt-hours per person. For this indicator, EPA divided total residential electricity sales for the summer months by the corresponding total U.S. EIA has collected these data consistently since 1973. Energy Information Administration (EIA), which collects comprehensive information about power generation, delivery, and sales from electric power utilities across the country. Although a variety of heating fuels are used, natural gas is the most representative for a national analysis because it accounts for more than 69 percent of the energy used for home heating in the United States. homes use during the winter (defined here as December, January, and February), when heating is typically needed most. Next, it looks at the amount of natural gas that U.S.homes use during the summer (defined here as June, July, and August), when air conditioning is typically needed most. First, it looks at the amount of electricity that U.S.
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This indicator measures changes in residential seasonal energy use in the United States. 6 Improvements in energy efficiency, particularly for electricity-based heating and cooling, can influence residential consumption and demand for energy over time. 5 Overall, though, summer increases are expected to outweigh any reduction in energy use due to lower heating needs in the winter. As temperatures rise, Americans are expected to use less fuel energy for heating their homes. The opposite effect could take place with winter heating.
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4 Burning fossil fuels for electricity is one of the largest sources of heat-trapping greenhouse gas emissions in the United States (see the U.S. As of 2018, about two-thirds of the electricity in the United States was generated by burning fossil fuels such as coal or natural gas. 3 Increased use of air conditioning could also lead to more greenhouse gas emissions and further climate change, because more electricity must be generated to meet this increased demand. 2As a result, people will likely have to spend more money on electricity for cooling. 1 Conversely, cold weather requires people to use energy to heat their homes, which can be done with electricity and fuels such as natural gas, propane, and oil.Īs climate change contributes to an increase in average temperatures and unusually hot days, Americans are expected to use more energy-mostly electricity for air conditioning. Air conditioning is the primary way to cool a home and has become more widely used over time as of 2015, it accounted for 17 percent of the electricity that the average American household uses every year. One way people respond to hot weather is by using air conditioning. Hot weather can be uncomfortable, and in extreme cases dangerous (see the Heat Waves indicator).