Residential energy use and conservation in the United States

Technical Report · Mon Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1982

OSTI ID:6796192

Meyers, S

A portrait is presented of residential energy use in the United States disaggregated by fuel and end-use for the period March 1978 to April 1979. The results are based on analysis of the National Interim Energy Consumption Survey, a major national survey of residential energy use. It is estimated that space heating accounted for 63% of total residential energy use, water heating 15%, cooking 5%, and other electric appliances 16%. It is also shown that, after accounting for climate and dwelling size, the average oil-heated dwelling uses 1.24 times as much energy for space heating as the average gas-heated dwelling and 2.91 times as much as the average electrically-heated dwelling, and the average gas-heated dwelling uses 2.34 times as much as the average electrically-heated dwelling. These differences are attributable to relative heating system efficiencies, differences in weatherization levels, and other factors. An assessment is made of the extent of energy conservation that occurred between 1970 and the period studied. The indicator for which the most reliable data are available, gas space heating per degree-day, showed a drop of 16.4%.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Berkeley Lab., CA (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC03-76SF00098
• OSTI ID: 6796192
• Report Number(s): LBL-14932; ON: DE83001565
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
298000 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Consumption & Utilization
32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
320101* -- Energy Conservation
Consumption
& Utilization-- Residential Buildings-- (-1987)
APPLIANCES
ELECTRIC APPLIANCES
ELECTRIC HEATING
ENERGY CONSERVATION
ENERGY CONSUMPTION
FOOD PROCESSING
FURNACES
GAS FURNACES
HEATING
OIL FURNACES
PROCESSING
RESIDENTIAL SECTOR
SPACE HEATING
SURVEYS
WATER HEATING