Table HC3-8a. Space Heating by Urban/Rural Location, 

 Million U.S. Households, 2001

Space Heating

Characteristics

RSE Column Factor:

Total

Urban/Rural Location1

RSE

Row

Factors

City Town Suburbs Rural

0.6 0.9 1.3 1.3 1.2

Total .............................................................. 107.0 49.9 18.0 21.2 17.9 4.3

Heat Home .................................................... 106.0 49.1 18.0 21.2 17.8 4.3

Do Not Heat Home ....................................... 1.0 0.7 0.1 0.1 0.1 25.8

 No Heating Equipment ................................ 0.5 0.4 0.1 Q 0.1 33.2

 Have Equipment But

 Do Not Use It ............................................... 0.4 0.3 Q Q Q 30.2

Main Heating Fuel and Equipment

(Have and Use Equipment) ........................... 106.0 49.1 18.0 21.2 17.8 4.3

 Natural Gas ................................................. 59.1 32.3 10.0 13.1 3.6 6.0

 Central Warm-Air Furnace ........................ 44.8 22.7 7.3 11.9 3.0 6.8

 For One Housing Unit .............................. 43.0 21.4 7.2 11.5 3.0 6.9

 For Two or More Units ............................. 1.8 1.3 Q 0.4 Q 23.3

 Steam or Hot-Water System ..................... 7.9 5.0 1.7 0.9 0.3 14.0

 For One Housing Unit .............................. 5.1 3.0 1.2 0.6 0.3 17.8

 For Two or More Units ............................. 2.8 2.0 0.5 0.2 Q 22.9

 Floor, Wall, or 

 Pipeless Furnace ....................................... 3.1 2.3 0.5 0.2 0.1 18.2

 Room Heater ............................................. 2.8 1.9 0.5 0.1 0.2 22.0

 Other ......................................................... 0.5 0.4 Q Q Q 40.0

 Electricity ..................................................... 30.9 13.6 4.5 6.3 6.5 7.2

 Built-In Electric Units ................................. 6.1 2.7 1.4 0.8 1.2 15.0

 Central Warm-Air Furnace ........................ 12.6 5.9 1.7 2.7 2.3 11.3

 For One Housing Unit .............................. 11.8 5.4 1.6 2.6 2.3 11.9

 For Two or More Units ............................. 0.8 0.6 Q Q Q 42.4

 Heat Pump ................................................ 10.4 4.0 1.1 2.6 2.7 14.0

 Other ......................................................... 1.8 1.0 0.4 0.1 0.3 24.7

 Fuel Oil ........................................................ 8.0 2.4 2.0 1.3 2.3 13.6

 Steam or Hot-Water System ..................... 4.4 1.6 1.0 0.8 1.1 16.6

 For One Housing Unit .............................. 3.3 0.7 0.8 0.7 1.0 18.2

 For Two or More Units ............................. 1.1 0.9 0.1 Q Q 23.1

 Central Warm-Air Furnace ........................ 3.3 0.7 0.9 0.5 1.1 21.0

 Other ......................................................... 0.3 0.1 Q Q 0.1 39.5

 Wood ........................................................... 2.0 0.2 0.3 0.1 1.3 22.7

 Heating Stove ............................................ 1.5 0.1 0.3 0.1 1.0 26.2

 Other ......................................................... 0.6 0.1 Q Q 0.4 32.6

 LPG ............................................................. 4.9 0.3 0.9 0.2 3.5 21.0

 Central Warm-Air Furnace ........................ 3.4 0.2 0.6 0.2 2.4 25.8

 Room Heater ............................................. 1.1 Q 0.2 Q 0.8 21.8

 Other ......................................................... 0.5 Q 0.2 Q 0.3 27.0

 Kerosene ..................................................... 0.8 Q Q Q 0.5 22.9

 Other ........................................................... 0.2 0.2 Q Q Q 63.9

Amount of Heat Provided

by Main Heating Equipment

 All or Almost All ........................................... 96.5 45.7 16.2 19.8 14.8 4.3

 About Three-Fourths ................................... 4.3 1.3 1.0 0.4 1.6 13.9

 Closer to One-Half ....................................... 3.7 1.4 0.7 0.5 1.1 15.3

 Don’t Know .................................................. 1.5 0.7 0.1 0.5 0.3 24.7

See footnotes at end of table.

Energy Information Administration

2001 Residential Energy Consumption Survey: Housing Characteristics Tables
Table HC3-8a. Space Heating by Urban/Rural Location, 

 Million U.S. Households, 2001 (Continued)

Space Heating

Characteristics

RSE Column Factor:

Total

Urban/Rural Location1

RSE

Row

Factors

City Town Suburbs Rural

0.6 0.9 1.3 1.3 1.2

Age of Main

Heating Equipment

 Less than 2 Years ....................................... 8.7 3.2 1.6 1.9 2.0 10.7

 2 to 4 Years ................................................. 13.4 5.5 2.4 2.7 2.8 9.6

 5 to 9 Years ................................................. 21.4 8.5 3.1 5.5 4.3 7.5

 10 to 19 Years ............................................. 24.0 9.6 4.4 5.4 4.6 7.4

 20 Years or More ......................................... 26.5 14.4 4.7 4.2 3.3 6.5

 Don’t Know .................................................. 12.0 8.0 1.8 1.5 0.7 12.1

Secondary Heating Fuel and Equipment

(more than one may apply)

 No ................................................................ 72.1 37.1 11.3 14.2 9.6 4.3

 Yes .............................................................. 33.9 12.0 6.7 7.0 8.2 6.2

 Natural Gas ............................................... 5.6 2.4 1.1 1.5 0.6 15.0

 Fireplace .................................................. 3.3 1.3 0.6 1.0 0.3 19.3

 Room Heater ........................................... 1.0 0.4 0.3 0.2 Q 28.3

 Central Warm-Air Furnace ...................... 0.7 0.2 0.2 0.3 Q 29.9

 Other Equipment ..................................... 0.7 0.5 Q Q Q 35.0

 Electricity ................................................... 15.7 6.4 3.8 3.0 2.6 7.5

 Portable Heater ....................................... 11.8 5.0 2.8 2.3 1.7 8.4

 Built-in Electric Units ............................... 2.4 0.8 0.6 0.4 0.5 16.7

 Heat Pump .............................................. 1.2 0.4 0.2 0.2 0.3 26.9

 Other Equipment ..................................... 0.6 0.2 0.2 Q 0.1 34.8

 Fuel Oil ...................................................... 0.5 Q Q Q 0.2 31.0

 Wood ......................................................... 12.4 3.6 2.0 3.0 3.7 9.3

 Fireplace .................................................. 9.4 3.3 1.3 2.6 2.3 10.0

 Heating Stove .......................................... 3.0 0.3 0.9 0.4 1.4 18.0

 Other Equipment ..................................... 0.3 Q Q 0.1 0.2 31.7

 LPG ........................................................... 2.0 0.2 0.2 0.2 1.4 28.1

 Kerosene ................................................... 1.9 0.4 0.4 0.3 0.8 23.1

 Other ......................................................... 0.4 0.1 Q Q 0.2 37.9

1 Based on the household respondent’s description rather than the Federal Government definition.

Q = Data withheld either because the Relative Standard Error (RSE) was greater than 50 percent or fewer than 10 households were sampled.

Notes: • To obtain the RSE percentage for any table cell, multiply the corresponding column and row factors. • Because of rounding, data may not sum to totals. 

• See "Glossary" for definition of terms used in this report.

Source: Energy Information Administration, Office of Energy Markets and End Use, Forms EIA-457 A, B, C of the 2001 Residential Energy Consumption Survey.

Energy Information Administration

2001 Residential Energy Consumption Survey: Housing Characteristics Tables