Residential Electricity Use Increases Working From Home
December 1, 2020
As companies ask their employees to work from home, residential energy usage has jumped over the past year. In comparison to 2016 – 2019, residential electricity usage increased by 10%, commercial decreased by 12%, and industrial decreased by 14%. Particularly, this has been the case in the most densely populated areas of the U.S such as New England, Illinois, and California.
It is estimated that the increase in residential usage has almost offset that which was lost in commercial and industrial. From April – July 2020, American homes spent $6B in excess for electricity, paying an extra of about $20/month.
The effects on the environment of working from home are not fully understood, but indicators point that it can increase emissions in the long run. Individually cooling and heating each home consumes more energy than doing the same for an office building, school, and other spaces of congregation.
