FOTW #1307, September 11, 2023: Electric Vehicle Charging Consumed Less Energy than Water Heating in a Typical U.S. Household in 2020

In U.S. homes with electric vehicles (EVs), annual household electricity consumption for EV charging averaged 2,363 kilowatt-hours (kWh) in 2020, which is less than several other household appliances.

Vehicle Technologies Office

September 11, 2023
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In U.S. homes with electric vehicles (EVs), annual household electricity consumption for EV charging averaged 2,363 kilowatt-hours (kWh) in 2020, which is less than several other household appliances. According to recently released estimates from the 2020 Residential Energy Consumption Survey, water heating consumed 2,706 kWh of electricity on average in 2020—similar to consumption for space heating and air conditioning.

Average Annual Household Electricity Consumption for Selected Appliances, 2020

Note: "Space heating" Includes main (primary) and secondary space heating as well as air handlers for heating. "Air conditioning" includes air handlers for cooling.

Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, 2020 Residential Energy Consumption Survey, Detailed end-use consumption and expenditure estimates, Tables CE5.3a & CE5.3b, June 2023.