Smart Home Statistics (U.S.) | Citable Data and Sources

This page aggregates publicly available smart home statistics from U.S. government and ENERGY STAR sources, organised for easy reference. Every stat includes a source and year. For primary source links, see the Sources section at the bottom. If you also need protocol comparisons, use our Smart Home Compatibility Matrix.

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1. Stats at a glance
2. Citable smart home stats table
3. Trend metrics from source data
4. Planning benchmarks (derived)
5. Method and update policy
6. Sources

1. Stats at a glance

• The average U.S. household uses about 10,500 kWh of electricity per year.¹
• Air conditioning is the single largest residential electricity end use at 19% (2020).¹
• Space heating and water heating are 12% each of residential electricity use (2020).¹
• About 89% of U.S. homes used air conditioning in 2020, up from 57% in 1980.¹
• Central air conditioning reached 67% of homes in 2020, up from 27% in 1980.¹
• 99% of homes had a refrigerator in 2020, and 34% had two or more refrigerators.¹
• Estimated annual electricity cost in 2020: primary refrigerator ($87), second refrigerator ($66), separate freezer ($74).¹
• Nearly half of an average household energy bill goes to heating and cooling, more than $900 per year.²
• Thermostat setbacks of 7 to 10 F for 8 hours per day can save up to 10% annually on heating and cooling.³

2. Citable smart home stats table

Copy and paste these values directly into your own content and keep the source note.

Statistic	Value	Year	Source
Average U.S. household electricity use	10,500 kWh/year	2020	EIA1
Air conditioning share of residential electricity use	19%	2020	EIA1
Space heating share of residential electricity use	12%	2020	EIA1
Water heating share of residential electricity use	12%	2020	EIA1
Homes using air conditioning	89%	2020	EIA1
Homes with central air conditioning	67%	2020	EIA1
Homes with any refrigerator	99%	2020	EIA1
Homes with two or more refrigerators	34%	2020	EIA1
Heating and cooling share of total energy bill	Nearly 50% (more than $900/year)	Current program guidance	ENERGY STAR2
Thermostat setback savings potential	Up to 10% on heating and cooling	Current guidance	U.S. DOE3

3. Trend metrics from source data

These trend numbers are calculated from the same source rows above to make charts and report summaries easier.

Trend metric	Result	How it was calculated
Growth in homes using AC (1980 to 2020)	+32 percentage points	89% minus 57%
Relative growth in homes using AC	~56% increase	(89 - 57) / 57
Growth in central AC penetration (1980 to 2020)	+40 percentage points	67% minus 27%
Combined share of top three electricity uses	43% of residential electricity use	19% + 12% + 12%

4. Planning benchmarks (derived)

• Monthly baseline electricity use: about 875 kWh/month (10,500 divided by 12).
• Daily baseline electricity use: about 28.8 kWh/day (10,500 divided by 365).
• Thermostat savings benchmark: if heating and cooling spend is $900/year, a 10% reduction is about $90/year.
• Appliance benchmark for plug planning: second refrigerators and standalone freezers are useful audit targets because they run continuously.

Use these benchmark lines in audits, proposals, and editorial comparisons. For savings scenarios, pair this page with our Energy Savings Calculator. With refrigerators in 99% of homes and connected models now common, it is also worth knowing that a smart fridge still works without Wi-Fi, so its energy use is unaffected by connectivity.

5. Method and update policy

• Primary data points are pulled from U.S. government or ENERGY STAR pages listed in the source section.
• Any calculated values are labeled as derived and shown with the formula used.
• When official sources update a figure, this page is revised and logged in the source tracker.

Need another number covered? Contact us and we can add it in the next update cycle.

6. Sources

1. U.S. Energy Information Administration. Electricity use in homes.
2. ENERGY STAR. Smart Thermostats.
3. U.S. Department of Energy. Thermostats.