RI Ranked 2nd Most Energy Efficient State in U.S.
Wednesday, October 16, 2019
Rhode Island is the second-most energy-efficient state in the country, according to a new study conducted by WalletHub.
“According to the U.S. Department of Energy, the average U.S. family spends at least $2,000 per year on utilities, with heating and cooling of spaces alone accounting for more than half the bill. In 2018, the average consumer spent another $2,109 on motor fuel and oil, up $141 from last year,” writes WalletHub.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTWalletHub adds, “The Department of Energy estimates that adopting energy-efficient measures in the home could reduce a family’s utility costs by as much as 25 percent. It pays to conserve, especially during a time of increasingly warmer temperatures. As for transportation, the agency found that a more fuel-efficient vehicle could save the average driver about $638 per year.”
RI’s Rankings:
- 5th Best – Home Energy Efficiency
- 11th Best – Vehicle-Fuel Efficiency
- 2nd Best – Transportation Efficiency
The Rankings
1. New York
2. Rhode Island
3. Utah
4. Massachusetts
5. Vermont
South Carolina is the least energy-efficient state in the U.S.
See the Full Ranking in the Map Below
The Method
In order to determine which states are doing more with less energy, WalletHub compared 48 states across two key dimensions, “Home Energy Efficiency” and “Auto Energy Efficiency.”
WalletHub obtained the former by calculating the ratio of total residential energy consumption to annual degree days.
For the latter, they divided the annual vehicle miles driven by gallons of gasoline consumed to determine vehicle-fuel efficiency and measured annual vehicle miles driven per capita to determine transportation efficiency.
Each dimension was weighted proportionally to reflect national consumption patterns and graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing optimal energy efficiency.
Lastly, WalletHub calculated the total score for each state and used the scores to make the rankings.
Due to data limitations, WalletHub was unable to include Alaska and Hawaii in their analysis.
Home Energy Efficiency – Total Points: 50
- Home Energy Efficiency = Total Residential Energy Consumption per Capita / Annual Degree Days
Auto Energy Efficiency – Total Points: 50
- Vehicle-Fuel Efficiency = Annual Vehicle Miles Driven / Gallons of Gasoline Consumed
- Transportation Efficiency = Annual Vehicle Miles Driven per Capita
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