Understanding Electric Usage

kWh 101. Although we may all associate electric usage with COST (as in: "my electric bill is $75"), in order to understand why an electric bill is what it is, you need to examine HOW MUCH electricity your household uses. Residential Co-op members use electricity in units called KILOWATT HOURS (kWh).

Q. How many kilowatt hours does the average Co-op household use daily?

A. The average kilowatt hours used per DAY, based on more than 10,000 residential Co-op households is around 18 kilowatt hours (kWh). This does not mean all Co-op households use around 18 kWh/day; rather there is a range in average, from single digits per day, to some households who use 40 or 50 kWh per day.

In examining your electric bill what you should consider is: (1) what is your most recent AVERAGE DAILY usage (KWH/day), and (2) how does this measure of your household energy intensity vary (or not) over time. The first way to review this is to look at the bar graph of AVERAGE DAILY KWH usage on your Co-op bill. Bills are driven by (1) average usage and (2) cost per KWH.

Q. My neighbor's house is bigger than ours/ they have more kids than we do/ we're gone all day, and the neighbors are not/ etc, yet our bill is more than theirs. Why?

A. Although each home is different, there's little correlation between house size and electric energy intensity ( as measured in AVERAGE DAILY electric usage (KWH/day). Rather, electric usage depends on (1) what equipment you own, and (2) how you use it ("duty cycle").

Q. I've heard that it makes sense to switch from electric hot water to another hot water system. Is this true?

A. Typically, yes. The key is to understand (1) the nature of what the energy is being used for, and (2) some idea of the amount of energy being used. Electricity makes good sense for residential loads such as lighting, refrigeration, entertainment, and numerous relatively smaller end uses. There are ways to make sure that these types of electric end uses are reasonable and technically efficient.

There are four typical residential energy uses through which we consume energy primarily as HEAT. These four residential energy end uses are: (1) space heating, (2) domestic hot water, (3) cooking, and (4) clothes drying. Generally, if the need is "HEAT" then it makes sense to look for equipment and fuels to generate the heat on-site, rather than through using electricity to provide HEAT. Typically in Vermont one can purchase the equivalent amount of HEAT for less money than directly through the equivalent amount of kilowatt hours of electricity.

The member's ability to purchase the equivalent amount of HEAT from another fuel source compared to electricity depends on (1) what the price of the other fuel source is and (2) whether the cost of conversion saves enough money over time to make sense. Typically the largest HEAT users in a Vermont household are: (1) space heating (2) hot water (3) clothes drying (other than clothes line/rack) and (4) cooking.

Q. How can I make my home more energy efficient?

A. This is a simple question with potentially complex answers. First, examine your electric usage, in AVERAGE DAILY KWH, to determine your relative electric energy intensity. IF your average usage is 10 KWH/day, then there's less savings (energy or dollars) opportunity in this area. IF your household electric usage averages more than 18 KWH/day (for example), there may be any number of ways to lower usage and cost.

Most members spend more money on space heating and hot water than on electricity. In Vermont, it is in the space heating and overall thermal integrity of your home that the greatest money savings opportunities typically exist. To learn more, visit, HOME PERFORMANCE WITH ENERGY STAR