Million U.S. Housing Units

Total...................................................................... 111.1 14.7 7.4 12.5 12.5 18.9 18.6 17.3 9.2

Personal Computers

Do Not Use a Personal Computer.................... 35.5 5.7 3.3 4.6 4.7 5.8 5.7 4.0 1.7

Use a Personal Computer................................ 75.6 9.0 4.1 7.9 7.8 13.1 12.9 13.3 7.5

Most-Used Personal Computer

Type of PC

Desk-top Model........................................... 58.6 6.7 3.5 6.3 6.2 10.3 9.9 10.2 5.6

Laptop Model............................................... 16.9 2.3 0.7 1.7 1.5 2.8 2.9 3.1 1.9

Hours Turned on Per Week

Less than 2 Hours....................................... 13.6 1.6 0.6 1.8 1.8 2.5 2.0 2.2 1.1

2 to 15 Hours............................................... 29.1 3.0 1.6 3.3 3.0 5.6 5.0 5.0 2.7

16 to 40 Hours............................................. 13.5 1.9 0.9 1.4 1.4 1.9 2.2 2.2 1.5

41 to 167 Hours........................................... 6.3 1.0 0.4 0.6 0.5 1.0 0.9 1.4 0.5

On All the Time........................................... 13.0 1.5 0.6 0.8 1.1 2.1 2.7 2.6 1.6

Status of PC When Not Being Used

Left On........................................................ 12.5 1.4 0.6 1.0 1.1 2.4 2.3 2.5 1.2

Completely Turned Off................................ 43.6 5.0 2.5 5.1 4.9 7.9 7.1 7.2 4.0

Manually Put into Sleep Mode..................... 19.4 2.6 1.0 1.8 1.8 2.7 3.5 3.7 2.3

CPU Goes to Sleep When PC is Left On

Yes.......................................................... 9.1 1.0 0.3 0.8 0.8 1.9 1.5 1.9 0.9

No............................................................ 3.4 0.4 Q 0.3 0.2 0.5 0.8 0.6 0.3

Type of Monitor Used

Desk-top

CRT (Standard Monitor)........................... 45.0 5.3 2.8 4.9 5.1 7.8 7.7 7.5 3.9

Flat-Panel LCD........................................ 13.6 1.4 0.7 1.4 1.2 2.4 2.3 2.7 1.6

Laptop (Flat-panel LCD).............................. 16.9 2.3 0.7 1.7 1.5 2.8 2.9 3.1 1.9

Status of Monitor When Not in Use

Screen-Saver.............................................. 6.1 0.8 0.2 0.4 0.6 1.3 1.0 1.2 0.6

Automatic Sleep Mode................................ 4.4 0.4 Q 0.3 0.3 0.8 1.0 1.0 0.4

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

Second Most-Used Personal Computer

Use a Second Personal Computer.................. 25.3 3.2 1.3 1.9 2.6 3.8 4.2 5.6 2.7

Type of PC

Desk-top Model........................................... 15.8 2.2 0.8 1.2 1.7 2.2 2.6 3.5 1.6

Lap-top Model............................................. 9.4 1.1 0.5 0.7 0.9 1.6 1.6 2.0 1.1

Hours Turned on Per Week

Less than 2 Hours....................................... 8.2 1.1 0.3 0.7 0.8 1.5 1.3 1.5 1.0

2 to 15 Hours............................................... 9.9 1.2 0.6 0.8 1.1 1.3 1.7 2.2 0.9

16 to 40 Hours............................................. 3.2 0.4 Q Q Q 0.6 0.5 0.8 0.4

41 to 167 Hours........................................... 1.2 0.2 Q N Q Q Q 0.3 Q

On All the Time........................................... 2.8 0.3 Q Q 0.5 Q 0.6 0.8 0.3

Table HC5.12 Home Electronics Usage Indicators by Year of Construction, 2005

Home Electronics Usage Indicators

Year of Construction

Housing 

Units 

(millions)

Before 

1940

1940 to 

1949

1950 to 

1959

1960 to 

1969

1970 to 

1979

1980 to 

1989

1990 to 

1999

2000 to 

2005

Energy Information Administration:

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

Table HC5.12 Home Electronics Usage Indicators by Year of Construction, 2005

Home Electronics Usage Indicators

Year of Construction

Housing 

Units 

(millions)

Before 

1940

1940 to 

1949

1950 to 

1959

1960 to 

1969

1970 to 

1979

1980 to 

1989

1990 to 

1999

2000 to 

2005

Status of PC When Not in Use

Left On........................................................ 3.2 0.4 Q Q 0.4 0.4 0.5 0.9 Q

Completely Turned Off................................ 17.8 2.3 1.0 1.4 1.8 3.1 3.0 3.5 1.8

Manually Put into Sleep Mode..................... 4.2 0.6 Q 0.2 0.4 0.3 0.7 1.1 0.7

CPU Goes to Sleep When PC is Left On

Yes.......................................................... 2.2 0.3 Q Q 0.4 Q 0.4 0.5 Q

No............................................................ 1.0 Q N Q Q Q Q 0.4 Q

Type of Monitor Used

Desk-top

CRT (Standard Monitor)........................... 11.6 1.7 0.7 1.0 1.1 1.7 1.8 2.5 1.1

Flat-Panel LCD........................................ 4.2 0.5 Q Q 0.6 0.5 0.7 1.0 0.5

Laptop (Flat-panel LCD).............................. 9.4 1.1 0.5 0.7 0.9 1.6 1.6 2.0 1.1

Monitor Goes to Sleep When Not in Use

Screen-Saver.............................................. 1.7 0.3 Q Q Q Q 0.2 0.4 Q

Automatic Sleep Mode................................ 1.0 Q Q Q Q Q Q 0.4 Q

Monitor is Turned Off................................... 0.5 QQQQQQQQ

Use of Internet

Have Access to Internet

Yes.............................................................. 66.9 8.0 3.8 6.8 6.5 11.3 11.3 12.3 6.9

Dial-up (phone)........................................ 26.8 3.1 1.2 2.7 3.2 5.0 4.3 4.8 2.4

DSL......................................................... 19.1 2.4 1.3 1.7 1.5 3.0 3.4 3.6 2.3

Cable Modem.......................................... 20.8 2.5 1.2 2.4 1.8 3.3 3.6 3.8 2.2

No............................................................... 8.7 1.0 0.4 1.1 1.2 1.8 1.5 1.1 0.6

Status of DSL Connection When Not in Use

Turned Off............................................... 5.0 0.4 0.3 0.6 0.5 1.0 0.8 0.7 0.7

Left On..................................................... 14.2 2.0 1.0 1.1 1.1 2.0 2.6 2.9 1.6

Status of Cable Modem When Not in Use

Turned Off............................................... 4.1 0.4 Q 0.6 0.6 0.8 0.5 0.6 0.4

Left On..................................................... 16.7 2.1 1.0 1.8 1.2 2.4 3.1 3.3 1.8

Have a Wireless Router

Yes.......................................................... 2.4 0.2 Q 0.3 0.3 0.4 0.3 0.4 0.3

No............................................................ 12.7 1.6 0.7 0.7 0.9 1.7 2.3 3.1 1.6

No DSL or Modem Connection................ 27.0 3.1 1.3 2.7 3.2 5.1 4.4 4.8 2.4

Primary Use of PC(s) 

Personal Use.................................................. 39.8 4.5 2.0 4.7 3.7 7.1 6.7 6.8 4.3

Recreation...................................................... 14.4 1.7 0.9 1.5 1.7 2.5 2.8 2.4 0.9

Education/School............................................ 10.3 1.2 0.6 1.2 1.2 1.8 1.9 1.7 0.8

Home Business............................................... 7.6 1.1 0.4 0.3 0.8 1.1 1.1 1.6 1.1

Telecommuting............................................... 3.5 0.5 Q 0.3 0.4 0.6 0.5 0.8 0.3

Telecommuting by Personal Computer

1 or 2 Days per Week..................................... 0.8 QQQQQQQQ

3 to 5 Days per Week..................................... 1.3 Q Q Q Q Q Q 0.3 Q

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

Energy Information Administration:

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

Table HC5.12 Home Electronics Usage Indicators by Year of Construction, 2005

Home Electronics Usage Indicators

Year of Construction

Housing 

Units 

(millions)

Before 

1940

1940 to 

1949

1950 to 

1959

1960 to 

1969

1970 to 

1979

1980 to 

1989

1990 to 

1999

2000 to 

2005

PC Printer.......................................................... 65.4 7.2 3.5 7.0 6.3 11.4 11.2 12.0 6.8

With Built-in Fax/Copier.................................. 27.7 2.7 1.5 2.5 2.4 4.6 4.9 5.5 3.7

Without Built-in Fax/Copier............................. 37.8 4.5 2.1 4.5 3.9 6.8 6.3 6.6 3.1

Use a Color Television Set.................................. 109.7 14.1 7.3 12.4 12.4 18.7 18.4 17.2 9.1

Weekday Hours Turned on per Day

Less than 1 Hour............................................. 6.2 1.3 0.5 0.8 0.8 0.8 0.6 0.9 0.5

1 to 3 Hours.................................................... 49.1 6.3 3.2 5.7 5.4 8.0 8.7 7.8 4.0

Most of the Day............................................... 46.0 5.6 2.9 5.0 5.1 8.5 7.5 7.3 4.0

On All the Time............................................... 8.4 1.0 0.6 0.9 1.1 1.4 1.5 1.2 0.7

No Television.................................................. 1.4 0.5 QQQQQQQ

Weekend Hours Turned on per Day

Less than 1 Hour............................................. 7.3 1.4 0.5 1.0 0.9 1.1 1.0 0.9 0.5

1 to 3 Hours.................................................... 35.9 4.9 2.6 3.9 3.6 5.9 6.1 5.9 3.1

Most of the Day............................................... 56.4 6.9 3.3 6.6 6.8 10.0 9.4 8.8 4.7

On All the Time............................................... 10.1 1.0 0.9 1.0 1.1 1.8 1.8 1.6 0.8

No Television.................................................. 1.4 0.5 QQQQQQQ

TV-Based Game System Usage per Week

Use a TV-Based Game System...................... 34.7 4.2 1.8 3.1 4.2 5.7 5.8 6.4 3.5

Less than 5 Hours....................................... 19.9 2.3 1.0 1.8 2.3 3.2 3.3 3.7 2.1

5 to 10 Hours............................................... 8.9 1.1 0.5 0.8 1.0 1.8 1.4 1.5 0.9

11 to 15 hours............................................. 2.4 0.3 Q 0.3 0.2 0.3 0.6 0.5 Q

16 to 20 Hours............................................. 1.5 0.2 Q Q Q Q Q 0.3 Q

More than 20 Hours..................................... 2.1 0.3 Q 0.2 0.4 0.2 0.3 0.4 Q

Do Not Use a TV-Based Game System.......... 75.0 10.0 5.5 9.3 8.2 13.0 12.5 10.9 5.6

 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