HOUSEHOLD ENERGY USE

Personal transportation remains by far the biggest energy expense for most Washington households. Inside the home, space conditioning—heating, cooling and ventilation—is the largest energy user.

The following four links are from the "2005 Washington State Energy Indicators," twenty-four measures of important energy trends in our state, maintained by the Energy Policy Division of the Washington State Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development.

Residential end-use energy consumption by fuel
Household energy intensity
Household energy bill without transportation
Household energy bill with transportation

With energy prices rising, some homeowners are interested in scheduling an energy audit. Getting a professional to come to your house to perform an energy audit isn't always easy or inexpensive. There are exceptions, so check with your utility to see if they offer this service in your area. If not, there are tools available online to help you analyze your home's energy use.

"Do-It-Yourself Home Energy Audit: A step-by-step guide for identifying and improving your home's energy efficiency" from Seattle City Light.

Home Analyzer is an interactive tool provided by ENERGYguide, a product of Nexus Energy Software, which allows homeowners to pinpoint areas of high energy use. If you are a customer of Puget Sound Energy or Avista you can apply your actual billing data to a customized version of the Home Analyzer on the utility Web sites at www.pse.com (log into My PSE Account) and www.avistautilities.com.

Home Energy Analysis is an interactive tool provided by Energy Star that helps you calculate energy use.