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 2016, the average consumer spent another $1,900 on motor fuel and oil, though that figure represents a decline in recent years.

The Energy Department estimates that adopting energy-efficient measures in the home could reduce a family’s utility costs by as much as 25 percent, proving that 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 $625 per year.

In order to gauge the impact of doing more with less energy, WalletHub’s analysts 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	90.22	4	1
2	Vermont	84.81	1	13
3	Utah	84.12	2	8
4	Minnesota	78.05	3	18
5	Massachusetts	77.86	9	5
6	Rhode Island	76.81	11	4
7	California	75.33	15	3
8	Wisconsin	74.12	7	16
9	Colorado	74.00	8	15
10	Connecticut	71.83	19	7
11	Nevada	71.64	14	9
12	New Hampshire	70.65	6	30
13	Michigan	69.29	12	17
14	Maine	66.17	5	41
15	Illinois	64.71	21	23
16	New Jersey	63.20	22	26
17	New Mexico	62.55	18	35
18	Pennsylvania	62.27	24	19
19	Arizona	62.05	27	11
20	Idaho	61.59	20	32
21	Oregon	61.43	25	14
22	Washington	60.56	29	10
23	Delaware	59.22	30	12
24	Ohio	58.49	28	21
25	Florida	58.32	34	2
26	Montana	56.96	13	45
27	Maryland	56.62	31	20
28	Iowa	56.53	16	44
29	Kansas	53.31	33	24
30	South Dakota	52.78	17	46
31	Indiana	52.21	32	28
32	Nebraska	50.71	26	40
33	North Carolina	49.40	40	6
34	Virginia	46.23	36	27
35	Missouri	43.97	37	33
36	Wyoming	41.17	10	48
37	Texas	39.64	35	43
38	Oklahoma	39.49	38	38
39	North Dakota	38.29	23	47
40	Kentucky	37.87	41	34
41	Georgia	36.83	44	22
42	Arkansas	36.64	42	36
43	West Virginia	36.07	43	29
44	Mississippi	35.48	39	39
45	Tennessee	33.73	47	25
46	Alabama	32.44	46	31
47	Louisiana	31.17	45	37
48	South Carolina	21.51	48	42
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-energyeff2.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 find ways of reducing their consumption and maximizing their savings, we asked a panel of experts to weigh in on the discussion. 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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• Wayne A. Morra Ph.D. – Professor, School of Global Business, Arcadia University
• Cali Curley Ph.D. – Assistant Professor – Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis, School of Public and Environmental Affairs
• Ralph T. Muehleisen Ph.D. – Principal Building Scientist, Building Energy Decision and Technology Research Program Manager, and Urban Science and Engineering Program Lead – Argonne National Laboratory
• Steven E. Letendre Ph.D. – Professor of Economics and Environmental Studies, Green Mountain College
• Blake E. Wentz Ph.D. – Professor & Department Chair Civil, Architectural Engineering & Construction Management Department – Milwaukee School of Engineering
• Jan Kleissl Ph.D. – Associate Professor, Environmental Engineering, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering; Associate Director, UCSD Center for Energy Research, University of California, San Diego

Methodology

In order to determine which states are doing more with less energy, WalletHub’s analysts 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 and Federal Highway Administration.

Image: amasterphotographer / Shutterstock.com

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