The U.S. Energy Information Administration's 2012 "Electric Sales, Revenue, and Average Price" report brings to light (see what we did there?) the rise of average monthly electricity bills in the past 10 years. This increases the incentive for home buyers and renters to opt for energy-efficient options when choosing a place to live, although EcoBuilding Pulse points out that residential customers in some states are bigger targets than others.
A brief rundown of the data in the NAHB's Eye on Housing blog points out that not only do residential consumers account for the largest percentage of sales in the EIA's four data categories (residential, commercial, industrial, and transportation), but they also pay the the highest prices for electric on average.
The top five U.S. regions with highest average residential electric consumption cast a wider net for energy efficiency incentives, with the East South Central region (including Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, and Tennessee) shining the brightest at 1,185 kWh/month.
Ten years ago, the average monthly electric bill for U.S. residents was $78.24. But how much is a monthly electric bill for the average Joe nowadays?
Despite representing the No. 1 region for monthly electricity consumption, Alabama was the only state in the East South Central region to make the top five list of states with highest average monthly bills (Hawaii's average makes the national average seem like pocket change).
Top 5: Average Monthly Electric
1. Hawaii: $203.15
2. Alabama: $135.26
3. South Carolina: $131.64
4. Maryland: $129.00
5. Texas: $128.27
Low 5: Average Monthly Electric
1. New Mexico: $74.62
2. Maine: $77.77
3. Utah: $78.70
4. Colorado: $80.94
5. Montana: $84.88
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Learn more about markets featured in this article: Memphis, TN.
