Million U.S. Housing Units

Total............................................................................ 111.1 10.9 26.1 27.3 24.0 22.8

Personal Computers

Do Not Use a Personal Computer......................... 35.5 3.2 8.3 8.9 7.7 7.5

Use a Personal Computer...................................... 75.6 7.8 17.8 18.4 16.3 15.3

Most-Used Personal Computer

Type of PC

Desk-top Model................................................. 58.6 6.2 14.3 14.2 12.1 11.9

Laptop Model.................................................... 16.9 1.6 3.5 4.3 4.2 3.4

Hours Turned on Per Week

Less than 2 Hours............................................. 13.6 1.3 3.6 3.0 3.1 2.6

2 to 15 Hours.................................................... 29.1 3.2 6.8 7.1 6.0 6.0

16 to 40 Hours................................................... 13.5 1.6 3.3 3.6 2.5 2.5

41 to 167 Hours................................................. 6.3 0.6 1.2 1.4 1.8 1.3

On All the Time................................................. 13.0 1.1 3.0 3.3 2.8 2.8

Status of PC When Not Being Used

Left On.............................................................. 12.5 1.5 2.6 3.1 2.7 2.5

Completely Turned Off...................................... 43.6 4.5 9.9 10.6 9.4 9.3

Manually Put into Sleep Mode........................... 19.4 1.8 5.2 4.8 4.2 3.5

CPU Goes to Sleep When PC is Left On

Yes................................................................ 9.1 1.2 1.8 2.1 2.1 1.8

No.................................................................. 3.4 0.3 0.8 0.9 0.6 0.8

Type of Monitor Used

Desk-top

CRT (Standard Monitor)................................. 45.0 5.0 11.2 11.0 9.3 8.6

Flat-Panel LCD.............................................. 13.6 1.2 3.1 3.2 2.8 3.3

Laptop (Flat-panel LCD).................................... 16.9 1.6 3.5 4.3 4.2 3.4

Status of Monitor When Not in Use

Screen-Saver.................................................... 6.1 0.7 1.1 1.4 1.5 1.4

Automatic Sleep Mode...................................... 4.4 0.5 0.9 1.2 0.8 0.8

Monitor is Turned Off......................................... 2.0 0.3 0.5 0.5 0.4 Q

Second Most-Used Personal Computer

Use a Second Personal Computer........................ 25.3 2.7 5.4 6.5 5.8 4.9

Type of PC

Desk-top Model................................................. 15.8 1.7 2.9 4.4 3.8 3.0

Lap-top Model................................................... 9.4 0.9 2.5 2.1 2.0 1.9

Hours Turned on Per Week

Less than 2 Hours............................................. 8.2 0.8 1.6 2.1 1.8 1.9

2 to 15 Hours.................................................... 9.9 1.1 2.5 2.4 2.4 1.4

16 to 40 Hours................................................... 3.2 0.2 0.6 0.9 0.7 0.7

41 to 167 Hours................................................. 1.2 Q 0.2 Q 0.4 Q

On All the Time................................................. 2.8 0.4 0.4 0.7 0.5 0.8

Table HC9.12 Home Electronics Usage Indicators by Climate Zone, 2005

Home Electronics Usage Indicators

2,000 CDD 

or More

and Less 

than 4,000 

HDD

Less than 2,000 CDD and --

Greater than 

7,000 HDD

5,500 to 

7,000 HDD

4,000 to 

5,499 HDD

Less than 

4,000 HDD

Housing 

Units 

(millions)

Climate Zone1

Energy Information Administration:

2005 Residential Energy Consumption Survey: Preliminary Housing Characteristics Tables
 Million U.S. Housing Units

Table HC9.12 Home Electronics Usage Indicators by Climate Zone, 2005

Home Electronics Usage Indicators

2,000 CDD 

or More

and Less 

than 4,000 

HDD

Less than 2,000 CDD and --

Greater than 

7,000 HDD

5,500 to 

7,000 HDD

4,000 to 

5,499 HDD

Less than 

4,000 HDD

Housing 

Units 

(millions)

Climate Zone1

Status of PC When Not in Use

Left On.............................................................. 3.2 0.4 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.6

Completely Turned Off...................................... 17.8 1.8 3.8 4.6 4.2 3.4

Manually Put into Sleep Mode........................... 4.2 0.5 0.9 1.2 0.8 0.8

CPU Goes to Sleep When PC is Left On

Yes................................................................ 2.2 0.3 0.4 0.3 0.6 0.5

No.................................................................. 1.0 Q Q 0.3 Q Q

Type of Monitor Used

Desk-top

CRT (Standard Monitor)................................. 11.6 1.2 2.1 3.4 2.6 2.3

Flat-Panel LCD.............................................. 4.2 0.5 0.8 1.0 1.2 0.7

Laptop (Flat-panel LCD).................................... 9.4 0.9 2.5 2.1 2.0 1.9

Monitor Goes to Sleep When Not in Use

Screen-Saver.................................................... 1.7 Q 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.3

Automatic Sleep Mode...................................... 1.0 Q Q Q Q Q

Monitor is Turned Off......................................... 0.5 Q Q Q Q Q

Use of Internet

Have Access to Internet

Yes.................................................................... 66.9 6.9 15.6 16.4 14.4 13.6

Dial-up (phone).............................................. 26.8 3.2 6.6 6.4 5.5 5.1

DSL............................................................... 19.1 1.6 4.2 4.5 4.8 4.1

Cable Modem................................................ 20.8 2.2 4.9 5.5 4.0 4.2

No..................................................................... 8.7 0.9 2.2 2.0 1.9 1.7

Status of DSL Connection When Not in Use

Turned Off..................................................... 5.0 0.5 1.1 1.4 1.0 1.1

Left On.......................................................... 14.2 1.1 3.1 3.1 3.8 3.1

Status of Cable Modem When Not in Use

Turned Off..................................................... 4.1 0.4 0.9 1.0 0.8 1.0

Left On.......................................................... 16.7 1.9 4.0 4.4 3.2 3.2

Have a Wireless Router

Yes................................................................ 2.4 0.2 0.4 0.9 0.4 0.5

No.................................................................. 12.7 1.1 2.6 3.2 3.1 2.6

No DSL or Modem Connection...................... 27.0 3.1 6.6 6.5 5.6 5.3

Primary Use of PC(s) 

Personal Use........................................................ 39.8 4.0 9.2 9.7 8.3 8.6

Recreation............................................................ 14.4 1.6 4.0 4.0 2.7 2.1

Education/School.................................................. 10.3 0.8 2.4 2.0 2.8 2.3

Home Business.................................................... 7.6 1.0 1.5 1.7 1.6 1.7

Telecommuting..................................................... 3.5 0.3 0.7 0.9 0.9 0.6

Telecommuting by Personal Computer

1 or 2 Days per Week........................................... 0.8 Q Q Q 0.3 Q

3 to 5 Days per Week........................................... 1.3 Q 0.2 0.4 0.4 Q

More than 5 Days per Week................................. 1.4 Q 0.5 0.4 0.3 Q

Energy Information Administration:

2005 Residential Energy Consumption Survey: Preliminary Housing Characteristics Tables
 Million U.S. Housing Units

Table HC9.12 Home Electronics Usage Indicators by Climate Zone, 2005

Home Electronics Usage Indicators

2,000 CDD 

or More

and Less 

than 4,000 

HDD

Less than 2,000 CDD and --

Greater than 

7,000 HDD

5,500 to 

7,000 HDD

4,000 to 

5,499 HDD

Less than 

4,000 HDD

Housing 

Units 

(millions)

Climate Zone1

PC Printer................................................................ 65.4 7.0 15.5 15.5 14.2 13.1

With Built-in Fax/Copier........................................ 27.7 2.7 6.2 6.4 6.2 6.2

Without Built-in Fax/Copier................................... 37.8 4.3 9.4 9.1 8.0 6.9

Use a Color Television Set........................................ 109.7 10.8 25.8 26.8 23.8 22.5

Weekday Hours Turned on per Day

Less than 1 Hour.................................................. 6.2 0.7 1.5 1.6 1.3 1.0

1 to 3 Hours.......................................................... 49.1 5.9 11.5 11.9 10.5 9.3

Most of the Day..................................................... 46.0 3.7 10.8 11.0 9.9 10.5

On All the Time..................................................... 8.4 0.5 2.0 2.2 2.0 1.7

No Television........................................................ 1.4 Q 0.3 0.5 Q Q

Weekend Hours Turned on per Day

Less than 1 Hour.................................................. 7.3 0.9 1.9 1.4 1.9 1.2

1 to 3 Hours.......................................................... 35.9 4.3 8.6 9.0 7.2 6.8

Most of the Day..................................................... 56.4 5.1 13.3 13.8 12.0 12.3

On All the Time..................................................... 10.1 0.5 2.0 2.6 2.8 2.2

No Television........................................................ 1.4 Q 0.3 0.5 Q Q

TV-Based Game System Usage per Week

Use a TV-Based Game System............................ 34.7 3.3 7.5 9.2 7.3 7.4

Less than 5 Hours............................................. 19.9 1.8 4.2 5.1 4.1 4.6

5 to 10 Hours.................................................... 8.9 0.9 1.8 2.7 1.8 1.8

11 to 15 hours................................................... 2.4 0.2 0.7 0.6 0.6 0.4

16 to 20 Hours................................................... 1.5 Q 0.3 0.4 0.4 0.3

More than 20 Hours........................................... 2.1 0.2 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.3

Do Not Use a TV-Based Game System................ 75.0 7.5 18.3 17.6 16.5 15.2

 1. One of five climatically distinct areas, determined according to the 30-year average (1971-2000) of the annual heating and cooling 

degree-days. A household is assigned to a climate zone according to the 30-year average annual degree-days for an appropriate nearby 

weather station.

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

sampled.

 N = No cases in reporting sample.

 Notes: ● Because of rounding, data may not sum to totals. ● See Glossary for definition of terms used in these tables.

 Source: Energy Information Administration, Office of Energy Markets and End Use, Forms EIA-457 A, B, C of the 2005 

Residential Energy Consumption Survey.

Energy Information Administration:

2005 Residential Energy Consumption Survey: Preliminary Housing Characteristics Tables