Total U.S.a

Very-cold/

Cold Mixed-humid

Mixed-dry/

Hot-dry Hot-humid Marine

All homes 123.53 42.50 36.79 15.06 22.31 6.87

Fuels used for any use (more than 

one may apply)

Electricity 123.53 42.50 36.79 15.06 22.31 6.87

Natural gas 75.31 29.51 21.46 12.13 7.73 4.48

Propanec 11.14 4.99 3.63 0.70 1.50 0.32

Wood 11.05 4.71 3.00 1.13 1.43 0.78

Fuel oil or kerosene 5.68 3.71 1.88 Q Q Q

Electricity end uses (more than one 

may apply)

Space heating 64.84 17.81 21.65 6.37 15.18 3.83

Main 42.57 7.70 14.77 3.90 13.58 2.62

Secondary 31.57 11.73 10.50 3.19 4.36 1.80

Air conditioning 109.51 37.58 34.46 12.97 20.99 3.51

Water heating 57.72 14.78 19.75 4.09 15.99 3.10

Cookingd 83.94 27.22 25.79 7.64 18.56 4.72

Natural gas end uses (more than one 

may apply)

Space heating 64.47 27.56 18.62 9.25 5.38 3.65

Main 62.71 27.24 17.90 9.00 5.04 3.54

Secondary 7.88 3.10 2.44 0.89 0.78 0.67

Water heating 59.56 24.14 15.33 10.64 5.80 3.65

Cookingd 47.10 16.54 13.29 9.37 4.93 2.96

Outdoor grilling 4.71 1.57 1.19 0.97 0.68 0.30

Propane end uses (more than one 

may apply)

Space heating 7.68 3.69 2.75 0.37 0.69 0.17

Main 5.21 2.93 1.50 0.33 0.36 0.09

Secondary 3.01 1.06 1.46 Q 0.35 0.08

Water heating 4.16 1.90 1.05 0.41 0.63 0.17

Cookingd 5.80 2.56 1.56 0.53 0.97 0.17

Outdoor grillingc 42.09 18.25 10.91 4.89 5.86 2.19

Wood end uses (more than one may 

apply)

Space heating 11.02 4.70 2.97 1.13 1.43 0.78

Main 2.25 1.13 0.63 0.17 0.10 0.21

Secondary 8.83 3.59 2.36 0.96 1.35 0.57

Water heating 0.14 0.08 Q N N Q

Table HC1.6 Fuels used and end uses in U.S. homes, by climate region, 2020

Number of housing units (million)

Climate regionb

Preliminary data release date: May 2022

Final data release date: March 2023
Total U.S.a

Very-cold/

Cold Mixed-humid

Mixed-dry/

Hot-dry Hot-humid Marine

All homes 123.53 42.50 36.79 15.06 22.31 6.87

Table HC1.6 Fuels used and end uses in U.S. homes, by climate region, 2020

Number of housing units (million)

Climate regionb

Preliminary data release date: May 2022

Final data release date: March 2023

Fuel oil or kerosene end uses (more 

than one may apply)

Space heating 5.39 3.56 1.77 Q N Q

Main 4.93 3.31 1.58 Q N Q

Secondary 0.48 0.27 0.19 N N Q

Water heating 2.68 1.78 0.85 Q Q Q

Data source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Office of Energy Demand and Integrated Statistics, Form EIA-457A of the 2020 Residential 

Energy Consumption Survey

Notes: Because of rounding, data may not sum to totals. See RECS Terminology for the definitions of terms used in these tables.

a Total U.S. includes all primary occupied housing units in the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Vacant housing units, seasonal units, second 

homes, military houses, and group quarters are excluded.

b

 The Building America program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), created 

these climate regions. We combined climate regions for this publication. The Subarctic region is included with data for Very-cold/Cold .

c Households that use propane only for outdoor grilling are excluded from the RECS estimate of households using propane.

d Cooking includes fuels used by major cooking equipment (ovens, cooktops, and ranges).

Q = Data withheld because either the relative standard error (RSE) was greater than 50% or fewer than 10 households were in the reporting sample.

N = No households in reporting sample. 
Total U.S.a

Very-cold/

Cold Mixed-humid

Mixed-dry/

Hot-dry Hot-humid Marine

All homes 0.00 0.54 0.77 1.23 0.69 2.39

Fuels used for any use (more than 

one may apply)

Electricity 0.00 0.54 0.77 1.23 0.69 2.39

Natural gas 0.57 1.00 1.41 1.52 2.82 3.82

Propanec 2.48 3.89 4.51 12.72 7.34 14.45

Wood 2.35 3.55 3.70 8.59 8.45 8.97

Fuel oil or kerosene 3.26 3.00 7.51 101.21 81.12 34.84

Electricity end uses (more than one 

may apply)

Space heating 0.81 1.51 1.32 2.87 2.00 4.26

Main 0.92 2.68 1.70 4.62 1.85 4.65

Secondary 1.36 2.17 2.23 4.78 4.76 7.39

Air conditioning 0.35 0.79 0.90 1.58 0.82 4.31

Water heating 0.82 1.88 1.48 4.52 1.44 3.55

Cookingd 0.51 1.10 1.15 2.65 1.13 3.12

Natural gas end uses (more than one 

may apply)

Space heating 0.73 1.21 1.55 2.16 3.56 4.22

Main 0.77 1.25 1.63 2.18 3.72 4.44

Secondary 3.01 4.34 4.90 11.67 10.73 8.25

Water heating 0.75 1.24 1.78 1.68 3.49 4.31

Cookingd 0.92 1.64 1.78 2.37 3.78 5.29

Outdoor grilling 3.76 5.61 7.42 9.53 10.32 17.00

Propane end uses (more than one 

may apply)

Space heating 3.03 4.36 5.02 16.71 9.89 22.47

Main 3.76 5.10 7.27 17.33 15.17 28.45

Secondary 5.02 7.94 6.37 35.81 11.80 31.89

Water heating 4.42 5.80 8.23 15.13 10.01 19.62

Cookingd 3.46 4.92 7.88 15.91 9.48 21.23

Outdoor grillingc 1.10 1.45 1.95 3.13 3.58 6.32

Wood end uses (more than one may 

apply)

Space heating 2.35 3.55 3.73 8.59 8.45 8.97

Main 4.88 7.81 9.92 24.25 30.97 17.32

Secondary 2.77 3.51 4.76 9.51 9.39 11.13

Water heating 21.82 25.92 41.46 0.00 0.00 100.19

Preliminary data release date: May 2022

Final data release date: March 2023

Relative standard errors (RSEs) for Table HC1.6 Fuels used and end uses in U.S. homes, by climate region, 

2020

RSEs for number of housing units

Climate regionb
Total U.S.a

Very-cold/

Cold Mixed-humid

Mixed-dry/

Hot-dry Hot-humid Marine

All homes 0.00 0.54 0.77 1.23 0.69 2.39

Preliminary data release date: May 2022

Final data release date: March 2023

Relative standard errors (RSEs) for Table HC1.6 Fuels used and end uses in U.S. homes, by climate region, 

2020

RSEs for number of housing units

Climate regionb

Fuel oil or kerosene end uses (more 

than one may apply)

Space heating 3.39 3.07 8.21 101.21 0.00 37.60

Main 3.50 3.08 8.64 101.21 0.00 45.26

Secondary 13.56 17.41 21.19 0.00 0.00 70.82

Water heating 5.25 5.29 11.03 101.21 81.12 101.19

Data source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Office of Energy Demand and Integrated Statistics, Form EIA-457A of the 2020 Residential 

Energy Consumption Survey

Notes: See RECS Terminology for the definitions of terms used in these tables.

a Total U.S. includes all primary occupied housing units in the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Vacant housing units, seasonal units, second 

homes, military houses, and group quarters are excluded.

b

 The Building America program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), created 

these climate regions. We combined climate regions for this publication. The Subarctic region is included with data for Very-cold/Cold .

c Households that use propane only for outdoor grilling are excluded from the RECS estimate of households using propane.

d Cooking includes fuels used by major cooking equipment (ovens, cooktops, and ranges).