California Sixth in Nation in Energy Efficiency

When it comes to household expenses, energy tops the list, especially when temperatures reach triple digit figures during the peak of summer in the desert.

The average U.S. family spends at least $2,000 per year on utilities, with heating and cooling alone accounting for more than 50%, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

In 2018, the average consumer spent another $2,109 on motor fuel and oil, up $141 from last year.

But there are ways to spend less — and Californians seem to be doing pretty good at doing that.

WalletHub, the personal-finance website, on Oct. 15 released its report on 2019’s Most & Least Energy-Efficient States. California is the sixth most efficient state in the nation, bested only New York, Rhode Island, Utah, Massachusetts, and Vermont.

The Department of Energy estimates that adopting power-efficiency measures in the home could reduce a family’s utility costs by as much as 25 percent. It pays to conserve, especially during a time of increasingly warmer temperatures. As for transportation, the agency found that a more fuel-efficient vehicle could save the average driver about $638 per year.

Energy Efficiency in California (1=Most Energy-Efficient; 24=Avg.)

13th – Home Efficiency
5th – Vehicle-Fuel Efficiency
9th – Transportation Efficiency

In order to gauge the impact of doing more with less power, WalletHub measured the efficiency of auto- and home-energy consumption in 48 U.S. states. Due to data limitations, Alaska and Hawaii were excluded from its analysis.

Read the full report by clicking here.

This isn’t the first time California has been highlighted for efficiency. Earlier this month, the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, released its 13th annual report identifying each state’s commitment to energy efficiency.

California came in second overall in the 2019 scorecard, finishing ahead of Rhode Island and Vermont, and behind Massachusetts.