How much electricity is your household using? Chances are, you skim over your electric bill each month and if the price doesn’t seem out of the ordinary, you move on. This is what most of us do. It’s become the norm. But have you ever thought about what electrical usage and energy bills are like in other states and countries?

The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) reports that the national average is 909 kilowatt hours (kWh)/month, with monthly electric costs of $110.20. The EIA also breaks down the average electric usage by state. You can download the full spreadsheet with all state data here.

Keep in mind that the number of kilowatt hours (kWh) doesn’t necessarily dictate the costs, so the state paying the most may not be the state actually using the most electricity. Electric costs vary state-by-state. The average monthly price tag that emerges from your electrical usage depends on how hot/cold and urban/rural your home state is, as well as what the area costs are. For instance, even though Louisiana has the highest monthly consumption (1,273 kWh), Hawaii, (the state that uses the second-least amount of electricity) pays the most at $203 per month. Furthermore, Maine, the state that uses the least amount of electricity each month (531 kWh), still pays more on average for electric than New Mexico ($75 per month). However, Maine does pay a similar average price ($77.77), so their low energy conservation plays to their benefit.

Wondering where our home state of Texas fits in? Well, we are the 5th highest electric consumers in the country, using 1,174 kWh/month and paying around $133.33 on our monthly electric bills. Nationally, that puts Texas just above average in our electric use.

In terms of our country’s impact globally, overall the United States has the second highest household energy consumption in the world, with homes using over 11,698 kWh per year. This is two to three times more than European households and about twenty times more than Nigerian homes. Moreover, each American individually uses about 4,500 kWh each year, which is about five times the average for all people who have electricity in their homes around the world. But of course, these disparities are affected by differences in physical house size, local electricity prices, appliances, the amount of sunshine, and access to alternative fuels for heating and cooking.

This month, it could be an interesting experiment to compare your energy bill to the averages to see how you stack up! If you’re paying way above the average for your state/country, it might be a good idea to see how you can save more energy throughout the year. Luckily, our site is filled with blogs with tips and tricks for spending less on electric!

Sources:

U.S. Energy Information Administration

Shrink That Footprint

Flickering lights do not always signify a serious issue with your electrical system. What’s more important to note is which lights flicker and how. This is a relatively common issue that can have a variety of explanations. To get a better idea of how to address your flickering lights, tailor your solution to the specific situation.

If none of the above apply, try investigating the light switch itself next. Switch the light on and off a few times to see if the flickering dies down. If not, you may have a faulty switch that needs to be replaced by an electrician. Similarly, if you replace the bulb on a plug-in lamp and it still isn’t working, try plugging the lamp into a different outlet. It’s possible that the issue could be stemming from the socket. This type of issue should also be troubleshooted by a professional, as in-depth electrical work can be dangerous.

If you’re not sure what might be causing the problem, it’s wise to call a licensed electrician to check it out. The tips above can help you narrow down what might be going on, but doing risky electrical work yourself isn’t recommended.

When it comes to lighting, we are used to lighting that shines from above, like the sun or the moon and many artificial light sources that mostly are used from the ceiling or poles. In my early career as a lighting director for movies and television we used to up light or semi up light certain features or backgrounds in order to create dramatic visual effects. Back When I owned an event lighting company in Israel, I had an opportunity to implement some of what I have learned in the motion pictures industry. Back then there was no culture of lighting for events, the little lighting that was done was mainly halogen floodlights hanging on high poles and flooding spaces with a glaring light. Bringing the techniques I’ve learned in the motion pictures lighting, I have started up lighting trees, bushes, walls, architectural features, backgrounds etc. This created a lighting effect that was beautiful, dramatic and overwhelmed people. During the many evenings and nights that I spent overseeing the events, I used to stand close to the entry to the event location and watch people’s reaction when they entered the space. I noticed an interesting thing, the beauty we created using these special techniques of lighting, was so surprising and “out of this world” that people would just stop in their place, breath deeply with a quiet sigh and soak the view with admiration. That taught me how powerfully lighting can effect human emotions. As I started designing for architectural lighting projects, I carried on my experience from both the motion lighting and event lighting and started using in floor lighting in my designs. The first notable project that this technique was implemented for was around 1992 for the Wailing Wall tunnels in Jerusalem. The effect was surprising, interesting, complementing to the architectural nature of the tunnels, warm and dramatic.