The amount of energy used and environmental issues altogether are quickly becoming some of the most talked about subjects in the world. Over the last few years, including 2008, the amount of power Americans use has declined per household by about one percent each year. Still, the Energy Information Agency (EIA) reports that American households spend an average of $95.66 per month. Alternate energy sources such as solar power and fuel cells are slowly being used in the United States, lowering the amount of energy spent by some households to extremely small amounts compared to most American residents. Understanding how your energy usage compares to the average American household is a great way to decide what changes need be made in either your lifestyle or the items and products owned and used in your house.
The average cost of a kilowatt in America is 10.4 cents. Knowing the average American spends $95.66 per month, we know the average usage of kilowatts in per hour is about 920 kilowatts. The average American household usually consists of two to four people, so a person living alone would normally generate much less electricity in a small home. In the larger states such as California and Texas, the annual amount of electricity consumption is five times more than many other states. Particularly in California, the amount of electricity consumed is still very high even considering the larger population than most other states. Vermont and Alaska are the two lowest states when it comes to energy consumption, along with Rhode Island, South Dakota and Hawaii.
Comparing the amount of energy spent with the average amount spent across America doesn't always give clear results. Everyone has different lifestyles and situations or occurrences that can cause an increase or decrease in power usage on a day-to-day basis. The climate, cost of power, size of house, effort put towards energy efficiency as well as the knowledge of the home owner in the given field all play a role for electricity one may use in a day. Using solar power systems and other alternative sources of energy, combined with energy-saving devices and practices, people are beginning to see real change in the money spent on energy.