According to Wallethub’s analysis of auto and home energy consumption in 48 states, Utah was found to be the most energy efficient and South Carolina the least.
Following closely behind Utah for high energy efficiency were Massachusetts, Vermont, New York, and Rhode Island. The least efficient states leading up to South Carolina were Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, and West Virginia.
In order to calculate energy efficiency scores for each state, researchers used separate calculations for home and auto energy efficiency. Home energy efficiency was calculated by the ratio of total residential energy consumption to annual degree days, an index used to reflect energy demand for heating and cooling. For auto energy efficiency, the annual vehicle miles driven in a given state were divided by gallons of gas consumed, determining fuel efficiency, in addition to measuring annual vehicle miles driven per capita to find overall transportation efficiency.
Energy efficiency maintains a host of benefits, from cost and emissions savings to energy security. According to the Department of Energy, the average family in the United States spends $2,000 every year on utilities, mostly from heating and cooling costs. Meanwhile, energy efficiency measures for the home may cut these costs by up to 25%. In terms of transportation, the average consumer spent about $3,120 on motor fuel and oil in 2022, and fuel-efficient vehicles are found to save drivers about $950 annually.
Energy efficiency has increased some in the U.S. as renewables are integrated into the grid, with the Energy Information Administration (EIA) expecting 16% of 2023 electricity generation to come from solar and wind power.
According to recent estimations from the EIA, energy efficiency gains will be outpaced by a growing global population with rising energy demands by 2050, under current laws and regulations.
The report expects growth in renewable electricity generation, which may increase by between 54% to 67%. However, although some countries have turned to renewables for energy security, others are expected to rely more heavily on fossil fuels, such as natural gas and coal.
The International Energy Agency also recently released a report asserting that a global energy transition meeting Paris Agreement goals may still be possible, provided global phasing out of fossil fuels and tripling clean energy production.
One of the experts from the WalletHub analysis, Dr. Jennie C. Stephens, promoted incentivizing consumers and businesses to invest in energy-efficient projects paired with decreased reliance on fossil fuels.
"Investing in energy efficiency pays off in so many different ways for individual households and more broadly for the health of people and the planet,” said Dr. Stephens, Dean’s Professor of Sustainability Science and Policy at Northeastern University. “Phasing out fossil fuel reliance is an essential component of a stable and healthy future. There is an urgent need for governments to ramp up their incentives for energy efficiency and renewable-based energy and quickly put an end to their subsidies that support continued fossil fuel reliance.”
