The average family residing in the United States spends at least $2,000 per year on utilities, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. With energy being such a hot topic and a large concern, WalletHub recently conducted research on the most and least energy-efficient states of the year.
Energy is one of the biggest household expenses for Americans, with the heating and cooling accounting for more than half of a utility bill. In order to gauge the impact of using less energy, WalletHub measured the efficiency of both auto and home energy consumption in 48 states.
In this study, it was shown that Utah ranked fourth for the most energy-efficient state. The Beehive State had a total score of 81.48, coming in behind Rhode Island in third, New York in second and Massachusetts in first place.
On the other hand, South Carolina ranked lowest with a score of 22.99, just behind Alabama at 29.93. Utah ranks first in home energy efficiency, 15th in vehicle-fuel efficiency and 25th in transportation efficiency.
“The Department of Energy estimates that adopting energy-efficient measures in the home could reduce a family’s utility costs by as much as 25%,” shared WalletHub. Continuing, WalletHub stated that it pays to conserve, especially in a time of increasingly warmer temperatures.
It was also stated that the U.S. as a whole is already making progress in regard to increasing energy efficiency, with the U.S. Energy Information Administration expecting 22% of electricity generation in 2022 will come from renewable sources. This has increased 2% since last year and is up 12% since 2020.