Sustainability Energy

Here are the most and least energy efficient states

Americans in general use a lot of energy. But some states are doing better than others.

by Alejandra O’Connell-Domenech | Oct. 17, 2023

FILE – Delicate Arch is seen at Arches National Park on April 25, 2021, near Moab, Utah. Attorneys representing the family of a Ugandan activist who was killed by a swinging national park gate said Monday, Dec. 5, 2022, that they were pursuing $140 million in damages in a wrongful death lawsuit against the U.S. government. (AP Photo/Lindsay Whitehurst, File)

Story at a glance

  • Utah earned the No. 1 spot in a new WalletHub ranking of most and least energy efficient states.
  • Some other states that are making good use of less energy are Massachusetts, New York and Vermont, according to the ranking.
  • South Carolina could do better in becoming more energy efficient.

Utah is the most energy efficient state in the United States, according to a new WalletHub analysis.  

The personal finance company compared home energy and vehicular energy consumption among 48 states, excluding Alaska and Hawaii, to come up with their recent ranking of most and least energy efficient states.  

Massachussetts and Vermont came in second and third for most energy efficient states.

WalletHub determined that the least energy efficient states are South Carolina, West Virginia and Alabama.

Energy consumption has a profound impact on the planet and on American’s pockets.  

The average U.S. family spends at least $2,000 a year on utilities, with heating and cooling making up the bulk of the bill, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.  

On top of that, the average American spends about $3,120 on gasoline and oil for their vehicles, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

“Make it a habit to turn off what you do not use,” said Georg Reichard, a professor at Virginia Tech’s College of Engineering.  

“A home built to a high-performance standard will have those miscellaneous electric loads as a significant portion of their energy use. They are small loads but add up and collectively create a draw that creates heat, which you then have to remove in summer.” 

Here are the 10 most energy efficient states, according to WalletHub: 

  1. Utah 
  1. Massachusetts 
  1. Vermont 
  1. New York  
  1. Rhode Island 
  1. Minnesota 
  1. California 
  1. Colorado  
  1. Wisconsin 
  1. Washington 

Here are the 10 least energy-efficient states:  

  1. South Carolina 
  1. West Virginia 
  1. Alabama 
  1. Mississippi 
  1. Arkansas 
  1. Louisiana 
  1. Tennessee 
  1. Oklahoma 
  1. Texas 
  1. Wyoming 

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