The average US house uses about 863 kWh of electricity per month, which is roughly 10,356 kWh per year or 28 kWh per day (2024, EIA). That is an average across 143 million residential customers, from small apartments to large all-electric homes. Your own number can easily be half or double that, depending on your state, your heating fuel, and the size of your home.
This guide gives the latest national figures, average monthly kWh for all 50 states and DC, usage by home size and type, where the electricity goes inside a home, and a worked example that turns a monthly bill into kWh per day and CO₂.
How many kWh does an average house use?
The US Energy Information Administration (EIA) reports that the average residential customer bought 863 kWh per month in 2024. Multiply by 12 and you get the annual figure: 863 × 12 = 10,356 kWh per year.
The number moves a little each year with the weather. EIA’s FAQ, which uses 2022 data, puts the average at 10,791 kWh per year, or about 899 kWh per month.
EIA’s household survey gives a similar result from a different angle. The 2020 Residential Energy Consumption Survey (RECS) found an average of 10,566 kWh per household across 123.5 million homes. So 10,000 to 11,000 kWh a year is a fair summary of how much electricity a home uses.
If kW and kWh get mixed up, our short guide on kW vs kWh clears it up.
Average kWh per day: how many kWh per day is normal?
To get the average kWh per day, divide the annual figure by 365: 10,356 ÷ 365 = 28.4 kWh per day (2024, EIA). That is the national answer to “how many kWh does a house use per day”.
“Normal” covers a wide range. Using the same EIA state data, the average home in Hawaii uses about 16 kWh per day (495 × 12 ÷ 365 = 16.3) and the average home in Louisiana uses about 40 kWh per day (1,202 × 12 ÷ 365 = 39.5).
Daily use also swings by season, so compare a July day with last July, not with April.
kWh per month average by state
State averages range from 495 kWh per month in Hawaii to 1,202 kWh per month in Louisiana, a gap of 2.4 times (1,202 ÷ 495). The table ranks every state and DC from highest to lowest. Daily figures are monthly kWh × 12 ÷ 365.
| State | Avg kWh per month | Avg kWh per day |
|---|---|---|
| Louisiana | 1,202 | 39.5 |
| Mississippi | 1,156 | 38.0 |
| Tennessee | 1,154 | 37.9 |
| Alabama | 1,143 | 37.6 |
| Florida | 1,104 | 36.3 |
| Texas | 1,096 | 36.0 |
| Oklahoma | 1,079 | 35.5 |
| Arizona | 1,075 | 35.3 |
| Georgia | 1,074 | 35.3 |
| South Carolina | 1,050 | 34.5 |
| Arkansas | 1,048 | 34.5 |
| Kentucky | 1,047 | 34.4 |
| Virginia | 1,032 | 33.9 |
| North Dakota | 1,029 | 33.8 |
| West Virginia | 1,027 | 33.8 |
| North Carolina | 1,015 | 33.4 |
| Missouri | 1,001 | 32.9 |
| South Dakota | 994 | 32.7 |
| Nebraska | 956 | 31.4 |
| Washington | 955 | 31.4 |
| Idaho | 944 | 31.0 |
| Nevada | 930 | 30.6 |
| Maryland | 929 | 30.5 |
| Delaware | 911 | 30.0 |
| Indiana | 901 | 29.6 |
| Oregon | 882 | 29.0 |
| Kansas | 876 | 28.8 |
| Wyoming | 863 | 28.4 |
| Montana | 852 | 28.0 |
| Ohio | 846 | 27.8 |
| Iowa | 832 | 27.4 |
| Pennsylvania | 817 | 26.9 |
| Utah | 774 | 25.4 |
| Minnesota | 712 | 23.4 |
| Connecticut | 695 | 22.8 |
| Illinois | 693 | 22.8 |
| Colorado | 674 | 22.2 |
| New Jersey | 662 | 21.8 |
| New Mexico | 654 | 21.5 |
| Wisconsin | 645 | 21.2 |
| District of Columbia | 639 | 21.0 |
| New Hampshire | 619 | 20.4 |
| Michigan | 618 | 20.3 |
| Alaska | 578 | 19.0 |
| Vermont | 574 | 18.9 |
| New York | 571 | 18.8 |
| Massachusetts | 570 | 18.7 |
| Rhode Island | 567 | 18.6 |
| Maine | 550 | 18.1 |
| California | 503 | 16.5 |
| Hawaii | 495 | 16.3 |
| US average | 863 | 28.4 |
Source: EIA, 2024 Average Monthly Bill, Residential (Table 5A), released October 2025.
High usage does not always mean a high bill. Louisiana uses the most electricity but pays $140.96 a month on average, less than California at $160.86, where homes use well under half as much. See our breakdown of electricity cost by state for the rates behind these bills.
How much CO₂ is behind your electricity bill? Enter your kWh and country to see the emissions in seconds. Open the free kWh to CO₂ Calculator
How many kWh to run a house, by size and type
The state table hides a second factor: what kind of home you live in. RECS 2020 is the most recent EIA survey that breaks electricity use down by housing type and floor area. Monthly figures are the annual figure divided by 12.
By housing type (2020, EIA RECS)
| Housing type | kWh per year | kWh per month |
|---|---|---|
| Single-family detached | 12,402 | 1,034 |
| Single-family attached (townhouse) | 8,443 | 704 |
| Apartment, building with 2 to 4 units | 6,665 | 555 |
| Apartment, building with 5 or more units | 6,093 | 508 |
| Mobile home | 12,456 | 1,038 |
| All homes | 10,566 | 881 |
By home size (2020, EIA RECS)
| Total square footage | kWh per year | kWh per month |
|---|---|---|
| Less than 1,000 sq ft | 6,802 | 567 |
| 1,000 to 1,499 sq ft | 9,407 | 784 |
| 1,500 to 1,999 sq ft | 11,009 | 917 |
| 2,000 to 2,499 sq ft | 12,173 | 1,014 |
| 2,500 to 2,999 sq ft | 13,031 | 1,086 |
| 3,000 sq ft or more | 15,489 | 1,291 |
Usage rises with floor area, but not in proportion. A home of 3,000 square feet or more uses about 2.3 times the electricity of one under 1,000 square feet (15,489 ÷ 6,802), even though it has at least three times the space.
How much electricity does a home use for each appliance?
RECS also estimates where the electricity goes. In 2020, US homes used 1,305 billion kWh in total. Air conditioning, space heating, and water heating together took about 44% of it.
| End use | Billion kWh (2020) | Share of home electricity |
|---|---|---|
| Air conditioning | 253.8 | 19.4% |
| Space heating | 161.1 | 12.3% |
| Water heating | 156.2 | 12.0% |
| Refrigerators | 103.1 | 7.9% |
| Lighting | 80.8 | 6.2% |
| TVs and related equipment | 75.7 | 5.8% |
| Furnace and AC air handlers (fans) | 61.5 | 4.7% |
| Clothes dryers | 55.9 | 4.3% |
| Separate freezers | 23.4 | 1.8% |
| Cooking (ranges, ovens, cooktops) | 23.3 | 1.8% |
| Dishwashers | 9.6 | 0.7% |
| Clothes washers | 7.1 | 0.5% |
| Everything else (electronics, fans, pool pumps, small appliances) | 293.5 | 22.5% |
Source: EIA RECS 2020, Tables CE5.1a and CE5.1b. Shares are each end use divided by the 1,305 billion kWh total.
These are averages across every home, including homes that heat with gas. A house with an electric furnace or electric water heater will see a much larger share go to that item.
Worked example: from monthly bill to kWh per day and CO₂
Say your electricity bill is $150 for a 30-day month and you pay the 2024 US average residential price of 16.48 cents per kWh (EIA).
- Bill to kWh: $150 ÷ $0.1648 = 910 kWh for the month.
- kWh per day: 910 ÷ 30 = 30.3 kWh per day.
- kWh to CO₂: EPA’s eGRID puts the US average grid at 767.2 lb of CO₂ per MWh, or 0.767 lb per kWh (2023 data). 910 × 0.767 = 698 lb of CO₂, which is 317 kg (698 ÷ 2.205).
- Per year: 698 × 12 = 8,376 lb, or about 3.8 metric tons of CO₂.
Your bill shows the exact kWh, so use that number if you have it. EIA publishes a slightly different national figure of 0.81 lb of CO₂ per kWh for 2023, based on utility-scale generation. Either way, the national average is only a starting point, because regional grids differ a lot. Our CO₂ emissions by state data shows how wide that spread is.
For a quick answer with your own figures, the kWh to CO₂ calculator does this math for you. To see how electricity fits with driving, flights, and food, use the personal carbon footprint calculator.
Why electricity usage differs so much between homes
Climate
Homes in the hot-humid climate zone averaged 13,781 kWh per year in RECS 2020, while homes in the marine zone along the Pacific coast averaged 8,410 kWh. Air conditioning is the single largest electricity end use nationally, so long, humid summers push usage up fast.
Electric heating and water heating
Southern households averaged 13,376 kWh per year against 8,016 kWh in the Northeast, about 67% more (13,376 ÷ 8,016). EIA points to two reasons: more air conditioning and more homes that heat with electricity. In the Northeast, heating mostly runs on gas or oil, which shows up on a different bill.
Home size and type
A detached house averaged 12,402 kWh per year, roughly double an apartment in a large building at 6,093 kWh.
Number of people
One-person households averaged 7,184 kWh per year and four-person households 13,072 kWh (2020, RECS).
Rooftop solar and EVs
EIA’s state figures count electricity bought from the utility. Homes with net-metered solar buy less than they consume, which EIA notes pulls down the averages in states such as Hawaii and California. Going the other way, home charging adds to the meter. Our guide on how many kWh it takes to charge a Tesla shows how much.
How to cut your home’s kWh use
Start with the three biggest end uses in the table above. These measures have published savings estimates from the Department of Energy and Energy Star:
- Air seal and insulate. Energy Star estimates that sealing air leaks and adding insulation in attics, floors over crawl spaces, and basement rim joists saves an average of 15% on heating and cooling costs, or 11% of total energy costs.
- Replace an electric resistance water heater with a heat pump water heater. Energy Star estimates a household of four saves approximately $550 per year compared with a standard electric water heater. At the $0.146 per kWh rate Energy Star assumes, that is about 3,770 kWh a year ($550 ÷ $0.146).
- Finish the switch to LEDs. DOE says LEDs use up to 90% less energy than incandescent bulbs and that the average household saves about $225 a year in energy costs by using LED lighting.
If you own your roof, generating your own power is the other lever. The solar savings calculator estimates what a system could offset against your current usage.
Frequently asked questions
Is 1,000 kWh a month a lot?
It is above the 2024 US average of 863 kWh but normal for a detached house in the South, where state averages run from about 1,000 to 1,200 kWh per month. In California or New York, where averages are 503 and 571 kWh, it would be high.
How many kWh does a 2,000 square foot house use?
Homes of 2,000 to 2,499 square feet averaged 12,173 kWh per year in EIA’s 2020 RECS, which is about 1,014 kWh per month or 33 kWh per day.
How many kWh per day is normal?
About 28 kWh per day is the 2024 US average. State averages run from about 16 kWh per day in Hawaii to about 40 kWh per day in Louisiana.
How much CO₂ does an average home’s electricity produce?
Using the 2024 average of 10,356 kWh and EPA’s 2023 national rate of 0.767 lb CO₂ per kWh, about 7,945 lb per year (10,356 × 0.767), or 3.6 metric tons. The real figure depends on your regional grid.
Sources
- EIA: 2024 Average Monthly Bill, Residential (Table 5A)
- EIA FAQ: How much electricity does an American home use?
- EIA: 2020 Residential Energy Consumption Survey, Tables CE2.1, CE5.1a and CE5.1b
- EIA: Electricity use in homes
- EPA: eGRID summary data (2023)
- Energy Star: Methodology for estimated energy savings from sealing and insulating
- Energy Star: Heat pump water heater benefits and savings
- DOE Energy Saver: Lighting choices to save you money
About the author
Georgi Todorov is an eco activist and entrepreneur. He runs Ecoki, where he builds free tools and guides that help small businesses measure and cut their carbon footprint.