How Much Energy Does an Average House Use?

The amount of energy a household consumes varies widely based on numerous factors, including:

• Fuel type
  • Electricity
  • Natural gas
  • Propane/LPG
  • Fuel oil
  • Kerosene
• House size
• Number of occupants
• Location
• Climate

Various government agencies, such as the U.S. Energy Information Administration and the Department of Energy, provide detailed data on energy consumption based on the above factors.

Household consumption averages can be useful benchmarks if you’re trying to save on energy bills or considering installing a residential solar power system at your home — and we’ll explore those figures below.

However, there’s no substitute for calculating the energy consumption of your actual home.

Read on to learn more.   

Monitoring Power Consumption of Household Appliances

Many American households consume more than one type of fuel…

For example, you may use natural gas to cook your meals and heat your home.

Heating methods vary, but well over 99% of American households consume electricity, and most get at least a portion of their power from the utility grid.

For the purposes of this article, we’ll be focusing primarily on electricity consumption rather than the use of fossil fuels for applications that produce heat.

If you’re looking to reduce your bills by reducing consumption through energy efficiency — or installing solar panels and a balance of system — getting an accurate picture of how much power your household appliances consume is a good place to start.

There are several ways to calculate the power consumption of your high-wattage home appliances.

The simplest way is to check the wattage specifications labeled on the device, in the manual, or on the manufacturer’s website.

However, older or malfunctioning appliances may consume more than their rated power wattage.

Additionally, many devices continue to consume electricity even when they’re not in active use, particularly electronics that have a standby mode, like televisions and computers.

If you want a more accurate picture of how much electricity your appliances consume, you have numerous options.

Electricity Usage Monitors

Electricity usage monitors — or power meters — are widely available online and in most hardware stores.

The devices are inexpensive, easy to use, and can determine the actual electricity consumption of 120V household appliances.

With most models, you simply plug the monitor into the AC outlet that the appliance normally occupies, then plug the appliance into the monitor.

The monitor’s display will show you how many watts of electricity the appliance is currently consuming. 

More sophisticated monitors can track usage over time in watt-hours and kilowatt-hours (kWh). Some even allow you to input your electricity cost per kWh to calculate how much money the appliance costs to operate over a given period, like a day or a month.

Energy usage monitors are useful for determining the electricity consumption of a single appliance or several devices plugged into a power strip or uninterruptible supply (UPS).

However, if you wish to measure the consumption of many devices at once, you’ll need to buy power meters or plug them into the monitor one at a time for the desired period of time.

(Source: Berkeley Lab)

Monitors that track usage over time are particularly useful for appliances that don’t consume power constantly, such as refrigerators or space heaters, which may toggle on and off based on temperature.

They can also help you track down “energy vampires” that consume electricity in standby mode — also known as phantom loads or phantom power.

Whole Home Energy Monitors

Power meters are cheap and handy for tracking the consumption of a single appliance or several plugged into a power strip.

However, they’re inconvenient for measuring the energy consumption of multiple appliances in your home for extended periods.

Also, most electricity usage monitors don’t work with 240V high-voltage appliances and systems like water heaters, washers and dryers, heating, and air conditioning.

If you want an accurate and ongoing measurement of electricity consumption in your home, you’re better off with a whole home energy monitor.

For example, EcoFlow’s PowerInsight home energy monitor is a comprehensive dashboard that allows you to view your electricity consumption in real-time by day, month, or year.

It also integrates seamlessly with EcoFlow’s portable power stations and solar generators to monitor how much electricity is stored in your home backup battery and/or how much power your solar panel array produces.

PowerInsight is also compatible with IoT Smart Devices and Plugs that follow the Matter Smart Home Standard for interoperability, including those from manufacturers like Google, Amazon, and Apple.

When combined with EcoFlow Smart Home Panel 2 and a whole home generator system like EcoFlow DELTA Pro Ultra, it provides the ultimate in energy security, monitoring, and control.

Average Energy Consumption and Expenditures by Household

The energy consumption of American homes varies widely, but there are resources from government and academic sources that provide national, state, and local averages.

 For example, the Residential Energy Consumption Survey (RECS) is conducted on an irregular basis, and the most recent available data is from 2020.

For that study, the Energy Information Agency collected the demographic and energy usage data of 18,496 primary residences across all 50 states and the District of Columbia to determine how much the average household spends on energy bills.

 The EIA’s interactive RECS Dashboard allows you to drill down on average energy consumption and expenditures by state and nationally based on numerous criteria that you select, including:

• Fuel Type
• End Use Case (e.g., space heating, air conditioning, water heating, refrigerators etc.)

Because climate and energy costs vary drastically across the US, state averages are generally more useful than national averages for consumers who seek to compare their consumption and expenditures to other households. 

However, let’s examine the national averages for consumption and expenditures by end-use, broken down by major categories in RECS.

First, here are the household characteristics of the average American home as determined by RECS.

Household Characteristics 

Total number of housing units in the US	123.53 million
Total square footage per housing unit	1,818
Total site consumption per household (MMBtu)	76.8
Housing units using natural gas as the main space heating fuel	51%
All-electric households	25%
Households that use air-conditioning equipment	89%

Annual Consumption and Expenditure by End Use 

End Use	Consumption (MMBtu)	Expenditures
Air Conditioning	7.9	$299
Space Heating	34.4	$519
Refrigeration	2.9	$116
Water Heating	14.1	$287
Other End Use	20.2	$725

The total electricity consumption per household was 10,566kWh annually at a cost of $1,224.

51% of American homes use natural gas for space heating, but most other categories — such as air conditioning and “other end use” — rely on electricity.

Examples of “other end use” applications that consume significant power include washers and dryers, kitchen appliances, home entertainment devices, lighting, and computer equipment.

How Many Watts Does The Average House Use?

Many American homes rely on more than one fuel source to power their homes, such as natural gas or fuel oil for heat.

However, almost all of us use electricity for air conditioning, refrigeration, and the myriad electronic devices and high-wattage home appliances that make up the bulk of our home energy consumption.

So, how many watts does the average house use?

The most recent Residential Energy Consumption Survey (RECS) from 2020 pegged average household electricity consumption in the US as follows:

• 10,566kWh per year
• 880.5kWh per month
• 28.95kWh per day 

Since utility grid power providers bill residential customers for electricity per kilowatt-hour, it’s easy to see how close your home consumption is to the national average.

(Source: Energy Information Agency)

Data collection for the next RECS began in Fall of 2024 and continues through March 2025.

Recent data from the Department of Energy indicates that average household consumption in watts hasn’t changed much since 2020.

According to the EIA, “In 2022, the average annual amount of electricity sold to (purchased by) a U.S. residential electric-utility customer was 10,791 kilowatt-hours (kWh), an average of about 899 kWh per month” — an annual increase of just over 2% over 2020. 

Average Retail Electricity Prices in the United States in Selected Years From 1990 to 2023

(Cents per Kilowatt-Hour)

(Source: Statista)

However, your electricity price per kWh may have increased significantly since then.

Watts vs. Kilowatt-hours

If you’re researching average electricity consumption because you’re considering purchasing rooftop solar panels or an inverter generator to save money on electricity bills and protect your home during blackouts, understanding the relationship between watts and watt-hours is essential.

Watts (W) and kilowatts (kW) determine the amount of electricity needed to start and run home appliances, HVAC systems, etc.

Watt-hours (Wh) and kilowatt-hours (kWh) measure electricity consumption over time.

Learn more about the difference between kW vs. kWh here.

What Appliances Consume the Most Watts In the Average Home?

If you’re among the majority of Americans who use natural gas or other fossil fuels to heat your home, air conditioning likely consumes the most electricity during the summer months.

According to RECS, 89% of households use at least one AC unit to cool their homes.

Other energy guzzlers include water heaters, washers and dryers, refrigerators, home entertainment devices like televisions, and computers.

Many small electronic devices — like WiFi routers and smartphones — don’t consume much electricity individually. 

But their combined wattage is substantial.

(Source: Parks Associates)

Research by consulting firm Parks Associates found that in 2023, the average US home with internet access had 17 connected devices.

That wattage adds up.

Going back to RECS again, “other end-use” electricity consumption — which includes everything except HVAC, refrigerators, and water heaters — accounted for about $725 of total annual energy expenditures of $1,946.

That’s about 37% of total annual energy costs — including fuel costs for heat.

For your reference, here are the average wattages of appliances and devices found in many American homes.

Starting and Running Watts of Typical Household Appliances 

Appliance	Rated (Running) Watts	Starting Watts
Dishwasher	1300W	1800W
Washing Machine	1200W	2300W
Refrigerator/Freezer	700W	2200W
Light Bulb	60-75W	0
Microwave	600-1000W	0
TV	500W	0
Toaster	900W	0
Vacuum	1440W	2500W
Coffee Maker	1000W	0
Blender	300W	800W
Clothing Iron	1500W	0
Dryer	5400W	7000W
Toaster Oven	1200W	0
Curling Iron	1500W	0
Space Heater	2000W	0
Laptop	50-300W	0
20” Box Fan	200W	350W

Of course, the actual starting and operating wattage required by devices and appliances vary by model, but the averages above should give you some insight.

Learn about starting and running watts here — it’s essential if you’re considering purchasing a generator or home battery backup system. 

If you’d like a more accurate estimate of the total consumption of appliances in your home, learn how to calculate kWh usage here.

Practical Tips for Saving Household Energy

Energy bills represent a significant obligation for American homeowners and renters, one that many people struggle to meet.

(Source: EIA)

Unfortunately, the people who struggle to pay their energy bills also pay a higher price for power (from all sources, including electricity) than consumers who don’t — by over 25%.

High energy prices aren’t the only thing that threatens home energy security.

Extreme weather events like hurricanes, heat waves, and blizzards are becoming increasingly frequent, resulting in severe power outages that last days or even weeks.

America’s aging power grid infrastructure is increasingly unable to keep up with electricity demand, particularly the skyrocketing consumption by data centers and artificial intelligence (AI) applications.

AI’s demand for electricity is growing so rapidly that Microsoft recently put together a deal to purchase the entire electric generating capacity of the shuttered nuclear power plant at Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania — part of a reactor complex that partially melted down in 1979. 

Fortunately, there are many things you can do to help ensure home energy security, lower your electricity bills, and reduce reliance on the utility grid.

Let’s take a look at 5 practical tips.

Invest in Solar Power

Millions of American homes and businesses have reduced or eliminated electricity costs and achieved energy security by investing in clean, renewable solar power.

(Source: SEIA)

The installation of residential photovoltaic systems that generate electricity has skyrocketed in the last decade, becoming by far the most accessible way for homeowners and individuals to tap into renewable power.

Commercial and utility-scale solar farms are essential to transitioning to a net-zero carbon emissions future.

Community solar programs make renewable power accessible to renters or homeowners who don’t have a suitable rooftop or ground mounting area to install solar panels themselves.

(Source: SEIA)

As the demand for solar panels has increased and technology has improved, prices have dropped significantly, both for PV modules and balance of system components, such as:

• Solar inverters
• Solar batteries
• Charge controllers
• Battery management systems

Many convenient, affordable, all-in-one systems, such as EcoFlow DELTA Pro 3, are now available.

In addition to falling prices, multiple federal government incentives encourage homeowners to invest in residential solar power systems that generate and store electricity for personal use.

The most generous is the Federal Solar Tax Credit, which can save US taxpayers up to 30% of the total purchase and installation costs of an eligible solar power and battery storage system.  

If you qualify, your federal personal income tax liability will be reduced by 30% of your total costs.

There’s no cap on how much you can save, and you can apply for the Clean Residential Energy Credit in multiple tax years until the program expires in 2034.  

If you don’t currently owe taxes — or your 30% credit exceeds your tax liability for the year — you can roll the credit over to subsequent years until the total amount has been recouped.

However, you can’t receive a payout if you don’t pay or owe federal income taxes.

Depending on where you live, state solar incentives may also reduce your upfront and ongoing costs.

The less money you spend on the initial purchase and installation of a home solar power system, the faster you’ll achieve solar payback and maximize your return on investment.

Minimize Time-of-Use Pricing and Protect Your Home During Blackouts

Investing in a hybrid PV system that provides solar + storage offers additional opportunities to reduce on-grid electricity consumption, save money on bills, and achieve home energy security.

Grid-connected renewable energy systems without battery storage automatically shut down for the duration of any utility power outage.

You’ll be unable to use electricity generated by your photovoltaic system until grid power is restored.

All grid-tied solar panel systems without a solar battery auto-switch off to prevent injuring utility workers or further damage to the grid.

Hybrid solar systems like EcoFlow DELTA Pro Ultra provide an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) during blackouts.

Your home appliances and systems will remain operational as long as you don’t exceed DELTA Pro Ultra’s maximum AC output or until the LFP solar batteries run out of charge.

If you generate sufficient electricity with solar panels using the photovoltaic effect — or with one of the multiple recharging options, such as gas or inverter generators — your home can run indefinitely off-grid.

EcoFlow’s portable power stations and solar battery systems also give you the opportunity to save money on electricity bills by avoiding Time-of-Use rates (ToU).

Virtually all utility providers charge a higher price per kilowatt-hour of electricity consumed during peak demand periods.

On-peak and off-peak electricity demand charges vary by provider and by state.

For example, the cheapest hours for electricity in Massachusetts vary by power company but are generally early in the morning or late at night. 

By integrating an EcoFlow DELTA Series solar generator with your home’s existing wiring using Smart Home Panel 2, you can program your system to prioritize using utility grid power only during off-peak hours. 

During peak billing hours, the electricity generated by your PV modules and stored in the solar battery will be consumed instead.

Even if you don’t wish to install a Smart Home Panel, all of EcoFlow’s portable power stations and solar generators allow extensive programming from anywhere with an internet connection using the EcoFlow smartphone app.

Saving money by avoiding peak billing hours has never been easier.  

Eliminate Energy Vampires and Phantom Loads

Many of today’s electronics still consume electricity even when you think they’re turned off.

The worst culprits tend to be devices and appliances with a standby mode, including:

• Televisions
• Microwave ovens
• Air conditioners
• Computer equipment
• Home entertainment systems 

…and many more.

Standby power is convenient — many modern appliances require it to perform their primary function — but that convenience comes at a cost.

Often, phantom loads are as much a result of poor design than necessity.

It’s estimated that 5-10% of residential electricity consumption comes from electronic devices drawing standby power.

According to The Berkeley Lab:

“Standby power use is a global problem and even affects climate change: those billions of products continuously drawing standby power are responsible for about 1% of global carbon emissions.” 

Some appliances require standby power to function as intended, including:

• Converting AC to DC (wall adapters – sometimes called “vampires’ – converting AC into DC)
• Maintaining signal reception capability (for remote control, telephone, or network signal)
• Monitoring temperature or other conditions (such as in a refrigerator)
• Powering an internal clock
• Charging a battery
• Continuously displaying information 
• Energizing soft keypads
• Providing heat to maintain readiness for rapid operation (crankcase heaters in heat pumps and instant-on feature in old TVs)

However, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t drive a stake through the heart of energy vampires when you can.

As mentioned above, energy monitors can help you identify devices that may be sucking up too much phantom power.

But the best way to defeat energy vampires is often simply pulling the plug.

For example, you can plug your entire home entertainment system, including television, gaming console, sound system, Apple TV, Fire Stick, etc., into a surge protector power strip.

When you’re not entertaining yourself, just switch the power strip off.

The Berkeley Lab offers a handy cheat sheet of safely unpluggable appliances.    

Upgrade Old Appliances

It’s not just energy vampires you have to guard your electricity bills against…

Older high-wattage appliances, such as:

• Air conditioners, 
• Space heaters

• Televisions
• Water heaters
• Washing machines and dryers, refrigerators, freezers, 

Even relatively new appliances without an Energy Star rating can take a substantial bite out of your monthly paycheck.

Consider exchanging older appliances for new appliances with Energy Star efficiency ratings.   

Your electricity bill savings may pay for the upgrade more quickly than you think.

And don’t forget to choose LEDs for home lighting instead of incandescent lightbulbs!

(Source: Dept. of Energy)

Make Your Home More Energy Efficient

Generating electricity with solar power is one of the best ways to reduce your household electricity consumption and dependence on the utility grid.

Another viable option for saving on energy bills is improving your existing home to make it more energy efficient.

Even better?

You can do both!

The federal government has not only incentivized solar power adoption but also improvements that improve the energy efficiency of your home.

The Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit offers tax credits of up to $3,200 for eligible improvements and property purchases for your primary residence if you live in the home you own.

Here are some examples of eligible property and improvements, courtesy of the IRS:

• Exterior doors that meet applicable Energy Star requirements. Credit is limited to $250 per door and $500 total.
• Exterior windows and skylights that meet Energy Star Most Efficient certification requirements. Credit is limited to $600 total.
• Insulation and air-sealing materials or systems up to $1,200 (must meet the required standards.)
• Home energy audits up to $150
• Central air conditioners*
• Natural gas, propane, or oil water heaters*
• Natural gas, propane, or oil furnaces and hot water boilers*
• Electric or natural gas heat pumps*
• Electric or natural gas heat pump water heaters*
• Biomass stoves and boilers*

* Must meet or exceed the Consortium for Energy Efficiency (CEE) highest efficiency tier

As with anything tax-related, it’s essential to read the fine print before making any purchase decisions or improvements based on potential tax credit eligibility.

The good news is you may qualify for both the Residential Clean Energy Credit and the  Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit.

Why settle for just one when you can have both?

Do your research, and don’t leave any free money on the table. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Final Thoughts

Reducing your reliance on the electricity grid’s aging infrastructure is one of the best ways to save money on energy bills over the long term and provide energy security for your family and home.

EcoFlow’s DELTA Pro Ultra is a modular whole-home generator that can power your house indefinitely during power outages and reduce (or eliminate) electricity bills year-round.

Whether your goal is reducing your energy bills or your carbon footprint, EcoFlow has a solution for you.

Check out our selection today.