How much electricity does a home, on average, in your state use?  Below we rank all 50 states (plus the District of Columbia) in average household consumption.
It should come as no surprise to most people that the United States as a country is the world’s biggest electricity consumer when it comes to energy use per capita. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the average U.S. residential customer uses approximately 909 kWh per month of energy, or around 10,909 kWh per year.
On average, residents in the East South Central region of the United States, including Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi and Tennessee, use the most electricity. While aside from Alaska and Hawaii, homes in New England use the least amount of electricity.
On average, the typical American uses 41% of their energy on space heating, and 35% on appliances, electronics and lighting. However, not all states within the United States consume energy in the same way:
1. Louisiana – 1,273 kWh Per Month
- The cost of Louisiana electricity rates rank 51st in the nation
- The average monthly household electricity consumption in Louisiana is 38.87% greater than the national average
- The state averages 828 Million BTU consumed per capita including the industrial and commercial sectors
2. Tennessee – 1,245 kWh Per Month
- The average Tennessee home consumes 33% higher than the national average
- State has 24th lowest electricity price in the country, keeping average utility bills even with nation’s average
3. Mississippi – 1,220 kWh Per Month
- Mississippi residents pay an average of $122 a month on electricity
- The average household uses 14,640 kWh of electricity per year
4. Alabama – 1,211 kWh Per Month
- The average home in Alabama uses 31.45% more energy than the average U.S. home
- The average monthly utility bill in Alabama is 26.17% greater than the national average
5. North Dakota – 1,205 kWh Per Month
- Although the state has high energy consumption per household, as a state, its total energy consumption is among the lowest in the nation because of its small population
- The average kWh retail price for electricity is just 8.2 cents, among the 10 lowest in the nation
6. Texas – 1,174 kWh Per Month
- Texas is also the nation?s largest electricity producer and leads the country in wind power generation
- The majority of state has adopted a deregulated energy market since 1999
7. Virginia – 1,156 kWh Per Month
- The average electricity costs per year for Virginia residents is around $1,584 annually
- The typical household spends more than the national average on air conditioning costs and powering lights, appliances and electricity
8. Kentucky – 1,154 kWh Per Month
- Residential electricity rates in Kentucky are among the lowest in the country, and are about 20% less than the national average
9. Oklahoma- 1,142 kWh Per Month
- Due to its small population, Oklahoma ranks 24th in terms of total energy used, despite having such a high household average
10. Arkansas – 1,133 kWh Per Month
- Nearly half of Arkansas homes use electricity for home heating
- The average homeowner pays 10.63 cents per kWh for electricity in Arkansas while the average industrial client pays around 6.45 cents
11. South Carolina – 1,124 kWh Per Month
- More than 2/3 of South Carolina homes use electricity as their primary energy source
12. West Virginia – 1,118 kWh Per Month
- Residents on average only pay 9.52 cents per kWh for energy
- West Virginia is one of the few states in the U.S. that typically produces more energy than it consumes
13. North Carolina – 1,098 kWh Per Month
- North Carolina is one of the nation?s top 10 energy producers and much of the energy consumed in homes in North Carolina comes from in-state
14. Georgia – 1,088 kWh Per Month
- Georgia homes spend around 40% of their energy bill on appliances, electronics and lighting
- Homes in Georgia spend nearly double the national average on air conditioning costs
15. Missouri – 1,086 kWh Per Month
- Missouri is known for having historically low electricity prices
- Homes spend approximately 35% of their average electricity use on appliances, electronics and heating, which is even with the national average
16. Florida – 1,078 kWh Per Month
- Florida homes allot only around 9% of their electricity consumption for space heating, compared to the nation?s average of 41%
- Site energy consumption in Florida is around 56 million BTU per household, among the lowest in the country
17. Idaho – 1,055 kWh Per Month
- Properties in Idaho consume approximately twice the amount of electricity the state is able to produce
- The state has the fourth lowest average electricity prices in the country
18. South Dakota – 1,055 kWh Per Month
- Despite having one of the highest average household rankings in the country, South Dakota ranks 46th in the nation for total energy consumption due to its small population
19. Nebraska – 1,034 kWh Per Month
- The state has one of the highest average energy consumption rates per capita. Individuals in Nebraska average consuming 461 million BTU per person
20. Maryland – 1,031 kWh Per Month
- 98% of Maryland household get their electricity from independent power producers
- Two in five Maryland homes use electricity as their main heating source
21. Arizona – 1,049 kWh Per Month
- The state averages 11,404 kWh electricity use per capita per year
- Arizona averages 75.7 billion kWh in retail electricity sales annually
22. Washington – 1,041 kWh Per Month
- Residents in Washington typically pay far below the national average for electricity, with the average Washington resident paying around four cents per kWh lower than the U.S. average in 2015
23. Indiana – 1,005 kWh Per Month
- Indiana has one of the nation?s highest per capita energy consumption rates, with an average of 442 million BTU per person
24. Oregon – 976 kWh Per Month
- Oregon is one of the lowest ranking states both in total energy used per capital and total expenditures per capita
- The state is the second biggest generator of hydroelectric power despite its low overall expenditure rates
25. Delaware – 944 kWh Per Month
- Delaware?s notoriously high electricity rates often puts it in the top ten for average utility costs, despite relatively low consumption rates
- The average Delaware energy bill is around $128 per month
26. Kansas – 926 kWh Per Month
- Homes in state of Kansas use approximately 4.65% more energy than the average home in the United States, yet the average utility bill is around 1% less than the national average
27. Nevada – 924 kWh Per Month
- State’s electricity use per capita per year is around 12,614
- The state averages just 32.5 billion kWh in total retail sales, among the lowest in the country
28. Iowa – 908 kWh Per Month
- Iowa ranks fifth in the nation in total per capita energy use
- The state?s average kWh electricity costs consistently fall right below the nation?s average
29. Wyoming – 894 kWh Per Month
- State averages 918 Million BTU Consumed Per Capita, including industrial and commercial sector, making it the highest state for consumption overall
- Has 50th lowest average electricity prices in the U.S.
30. Ohio – 892 kWh Per Month
- Ohio as a state is among the top 10 electric power generators in the country
- Only about 20% of Ohio residents rely on electricity for home heating costs
31. Montana – 860 kWh Per Month
- State is known for consistently low energy costs
- In 2015 Montana residents paid on average, three cents below the national average
32. Pennsylvania – 857 kWh Per Month
- Started implementing deregulated electricity market in 1997
- Approximately half of energy use in the average Pennsylvania home goes towards heating costs, 9% more than the national average
33. Minnesota – 817 kWh Per Month
- Despite cold winters, the average monthly electricity bill in Minnesota is around 16% below the national average, thanks to the state’s reliance on natural gas
34. Utah – 798 kWh Per Month
- State has infamously low electricity prices, ranking in the top 10 for lowest average electricity cost per kWh
- Electricity use per capita in Utah is around 10,602 kWh per year
35. Illinois – 755 kWh Per Month
- Illinois residents spend over half of their energy bills on space heating costs, more than 10% above the national average
- The average Illinois energy bill is among the lowest in the country, averaging only $80.57 per month
36. Connecticut – 752 kWh Per Month
- Even with low overage all usage, average kWh prices of 17.55 cents, Connecticut homes have some of the highest utility bills in the country
- More than 1/3 of Connecticut homes use natural gas for home heating
37. Colorado – 723 kWh Per Month
- State averages 53.4 billion kWh in retail sales per year
- Average household energy costs are just $1,551 per year, 23% less than the national average
38. District of Columbia – 720 kWh Per Month
- The average District of Columbia home is significantly smaller than the average home in the United States contributing to low monthly energy costs
- The average D.C. home uses around 8,640 kWh of energy per year
39. Wisconsin – 703 kWh Per Month
- The average Wisconsin household uses more than 56% of their energy on space heating
- While the average U.S. home uses around 6% of their energy costs on air conditioning typical Wisconsin households use less than 1%
40. New Jersey – 687 kWh Per Month
- New Jersey average household energy bills are among the highest in the country
- Nearly half of the energy used in New Jersey homes goes towards heating costs
41. Michigan – 665 kWh Per Month
- Michigan homes spend approximately 6% more for energy than the average home
- Michigan homes use 14% more energy for space heating costs than the average US property
42. New Mexico – 655 kWh Per Month
- Average electricity use per capita in New Mexico is 11,052 kWh
- The state’s total retail sales are around 23.1 billion kWh annually
43. Massachusetts – 638 kWh Per Month
- Approximately 59% of the average homeowner?s electricity bills go towards heating costs, 18% more than the national average
- Massachusetts homes spend 22% on energy costs than the national average
44. Alaska – 632 kWh Per Month
- Besides Hawaii, Alaska, consistently has some of the highest energy costs in the country, with average consumer in 2015 paying around 21 cents per kWh for electricity
45. New Hampshire – 629 kWh Per Month
- Began electricity deregulation in 1997
- Homes in the state use nearly 32% less energy than the average home in the U.S.
46. New York – 602 kWh Per Month
- Despite having some of the smallest average home sizes in the country, most New York residents spent close to the national average on energy due to high prices in the state
- Most New York residents allocate 56% of their energy towards space heating and just 1% towards air conditioning
47. Rhode Island – 602 kWh Per Month
- Started implementing retail deregulation in 1997
- Electricity rates are among highest in the nation, with prices in 2015 averaging around 17.59 cents per kWh
48. Vermont – 569 kWh Per Month
- In 2015, residential consumers pay in Vermont, on average, around 17 cents per kWh which is around four cents higher than the national average in 2015
49. California – 557 kWh Per Month
- California was first state to adopt deregulated market
- California homes use just 27% on space heating, less than the national average of 41%
- Residents spend around 30% less on energy than US average
50. Maine – 551 kWh Per Month
- Maine’s electricity costs consistently rank as some of the highest in the nation, yet their low overall usage and reliance on natural gas keeps most household energy costs among the lowest in the country
51. Hawaii – 515 kWh Per Month
- Despite having the lowest average energy consumption per household of any state, Hawaii also has the highest energy costs of any state in the U.S.