Massachusetts Home Energy Profile

Massachusetts residents have a unique energy consumption profile. From Cape Cod in the east to the Pioneer Valley in the west, Bay State consumers use 22% more energy per household than the national average.  Massachusetts homes are more likely to have double or triple pane windows but are less likely to have a programmable thermostat than are their counterparts in other states.

Gas and Fuel Oil Usage High

With cooler weather prevailing during most of the year, the primary energy end use is space heating.  Space heating accounts for 59% of home energy use in Massachusetts compared to 42% nationwide.  Home heating in Massachusetts relies primarily on natural gas and fuel oil.  Electricity accounts for only 10% of all residential heating in the state.

Air conditioning usage in Massachusetts homes is minimal.  Massachusetts consumers allocate only about 1% of their home energy usage to space cooling. This compares to 6% nationwide and 18% in Texas.  Massachusetts residents prefer room-specific cooling with only 20% of homes having central air conditioning systems.  For comparison, central air conditioning accounts for over 60% of residential cooling in all U.S. homes.

Low Electricity Usage

When it comes to electricity usage, Massachusetts households are frugal.  Massachusetts consumers use 35% less electricity per household than the national average.  This is primarily due to low air conditioning usage and the preference for heating homes with natural gas and fuel oil.  Household expenditures for electricity, however, are much closer to the national average given that electricity prices in New England tend to be higher than in other regions of the country.

Massachusetts Home Energy Usage

	Space Heating	Water Heating	Space Cooling	Refrigerator	Other
Massachusetts	59%	16%	1%	3%	21%
U.S. Average	42%	17%	7%	5%	29%

This makes it especially important for Massachusetts residential energy customers to shop for low electricity rates.   Default utility pricing may not always be the best option for the customer.  Lower electricity rates from competitive electricity suppliers may be available.  Electricity rate plans with value-added services like smart thermostats can also bring additional value to the Massachusetts consumer.