Posted by: Adam McCann

Energy is expensive. In fact, it’s one of the biggest household expenses for American consumers. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, the average U.S. family spends at least $2,000 per year on utilities, with heating and cooling of spaces alone accounting for more than half the bill. In 2018, the average consumer spent another $2,109 on motor fuel and oil, up $141 from last year.

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 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.

In order to gauge the impact of doing more with less energy, 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 our analysis. Read on for our findings, expert insight from a panel of researchers and a full description of our methodology.

1. Main Findings
2. Ask the Experts
3. Methodology

Main Findings Embed on your website<iframe src="//d2e70e9yced57e.cloudfront.net/wallethub/embed/7354/geochart-energyeff1.html" width="556" height="347" frameBorder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe> <div style="width:556px;font-size:12px;color:#888;">Source: <a href="https://ift.tt/2CiwyQE>

Most & Least Energy-Efficient States

Overall Rank*	State	Total Score	‘Home Energy Efficiency’ Rank	‘Auto Energy Efficiency’ Rank
1	New York	88.47	3	1
2	Rhode Island	85.82	5	2
3	Utah	84.29	1	10
4	Massachusetts	80.82	8	3
5	Vermont	79.06	4	11
6	California	78.15	13	4
7	Colorado	76.62	6	13
8	Minnesota	76.29	2	30
9	Wisconsin	75.64	7	12
10	Connecticut	72.85	16	6
11	Nevada	69.59	15	17
12	Michigan	68.77	21	14
13	Illinois	67.73	22	16
14	Maine	67.09	9	33
15	Washington	66.00	27	8
16	New Hampshire	65.90	14	29
17	New Jersey	65.55	19	24
18	Oregon	63.22	25	19
19	Pennsylvania	62.48	26	20
20	Maryland	61.68	30	9
21	Arizona	60.58	29	15
22	Idaho	60.34	18	36
23	Florida	59.94	34	5
24	Iowa	59.48	12	42
25	Kansas	58.56	32	18
26	Delaware	58.37	28	23
27	Ohio	57.23	31	21
28	New Mexico	56.63	23	37
29	Montana	55.01	17	43
30	South Dakota	53.78	10	46
31	Nebraska	53.35	24	40
32	Indiana	52.34	33	25
33	North Carolina	51.43	38	7
34	Virginia	48.87	35	27
35	North Dakota	47.70	11	47
36	Missouri	43.86	37	34
37	West Virginia	39.22	40	32
38	Wyoming	38.85	20	48
39	Oklahoma	37.30	39	38
40	Kentucky	36.97	42	35
41	Texas	36.48	36	45
42	Georgia	36.12	44	22
43	Mississippi	33.40	41	41
44	Arkansas	33.38	43	39
45	Tennessee	32.18	46	26
46	Alabama	31.27	45	31
47	Louisiana	29.19	47	28
48	South Carolina	18.96	48	44
N/A**	Alaska
N/A**	Hawaii

*No. 1 = Most Energy-Efficient**Due to data limitations, Alaska and Hawaii were excluded from our analysis.

 

Embed on your website<iframe src="//d2e70e9yced57e.cloudfront.net/wallethub/embed/7354/geochart-energyeff2019.html" width="700" height="450" frameBorder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe> <div style="width:700px;font-size:12px;color:#888;">Source: <a href="https://ift.tt/2CiwyQE> Ask the Experts

Environmentally conscious practices can help prevent costly damage to the planet — and one’s wallet. To help consumers and governments reduce their consumption and maximize their savings, we asked a panel of experts to weigh in. Click on the experts’ profiles to read their bios and responses to the following key questions:

1. What energy-efficient products for the home offer the best return on investment?
2. What is the biggest mistake consumers make when trying to make their homes more energy-efficient?
3. Should the government continue to incentivize consumers and businesses to invest in energy-efficient projects?
4. What tips can you provide for building an energy-efficient home on a budget?
5. What are the best strategies for financing solar panels for the home?

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• Evgenia Golubeva Ph.D. – Clinical Professor Finance, University of Illinois at Chicago
• Benjamin S. Weil Ph.D. – Extension Assistant Professor Building Energy, Dept. of Environmental Conservation, University of Massachusetts
• Casey L. Taylor Ph.D. – Assistant Professor, Energy and Environmental Policy, School of Public Policy and Administration, University of Delaware
• Erica Myers Assistant Professor, Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
• Jordan D. Clark Ph.D. – Assistant Professor in Sustainable Buildings, College of Engineering, Sustainability Institute at Ohio State, Department of Civil, Environmental and Geodetic Engineering, Construction Systems Management Program, Ohio State University

Methodology

In order to determine which states are doing more with less energy, WalletHub compared 48 states across two key dimensions, “Home Energy Efficiency” and “Auto Energy Efficiency.” We obtained the former by calculating the ratio of total residential energy consumption to annual degree days. For the latter, we divided the annual vehicle miles driven by gallons of gasoline consumed to determine vehicle-fuel efficiency and measured annual vehicle miles driven per capita to determine transportation efficiency.

Each dimension was weighted proportionally to reflect national consumption patterns and graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing optimal energy efficiency.

Finally, we calculated the total score for each state and used the resulting scores to rank-order our sample. Due to data limitations, we were unable to include Alaska and Hawaii in our analysis.

Home Energy Efficiency – Total Points: 50

• Home Energy Efficiency = Total Residential Energy Consumption per Capita / Annual Degree Days

Auto Energy Efficiency – Total Points: 50

• Vehicle-Fuel Efficiency = Annual Vehicle Miles Driven / Gallons of Gasoline Consumed
• Transportation Efficiency = Annual Vehicle Miles Driven per Capita

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Sources: Data used to create this ranking were collected from the U.S. Census Bureau, National Climatic Data Center, Energy Information Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation - Federal Highway Administration and Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Image: amasterphotographer / Shutterstock.com

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