# Evaluating the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Residential Energy Use in Los Angeles
## 3 Results
### Unnormalized Load Comparison  
The first set of load analyses use gross energy use data, not normalized for temperature. Energy use for Feeders A, B, C, and D for the pandemic period compared to the comparison period was higher by 10.0% for all days of the week considered together and by 10.4% during weekdays alone (see Table 2). Evaluating temperature differences while considering occupancy differences for the same period helps differentiate the causes of energy use change (see Figure S1 for monthly summarized temperature information for the LA Basin feeders). As shown earlier, stay-at-home rates for LA County rose swiftly in late March, peaked in April, reduced but remained high in May and June, and fell to a lower plateau for the rest of the summer. As shown in Figure 2, average temperatures were fairly similar in the 2020 period as in the 2018-2019 comparison period. Energy use was 2.6% higher for the whole month of March, but 8.6% higher for the second half of the month, after the initial SIP order (see Figure 2). Average temperatures were somewhat higher in April (1.8 \({}^{\circ}\)C, not significant) than in the composite 2018-2019 comparison period. \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c} \hline \hline
**Month** & **All Days** & **Weekdays** & **Weekend Days** \\ \hline January & 0.7\% & 1.2\% & \(-\)0.4\% \\ February & \(-\)10.3\% & \(-\)10.1\% & \(-\)10.6\% \\ March (14–31 March) & 2.6\% (8.6\%) & 3.2\% (9.5\%) & 1.1\% (6.2\%) \\ April & 13.4\% & 13.1\% & 15.6\% \\ May & 20.9\% & 22.4\% & 17.3\% \\ June & 6.2\% & 9.1\% & \(-\)0.4\% \\ July & \(-\)10.5\% & \(-\)12.7\% & \(-\)5.3\% \\ August & 12.1\% & 8.0\% & 22.5\% \\ September & 25.4\% & 27.6\% & 20.6\% \\ October & 18.0\% & 20.9\% & 10.8\% \\ November & 5.0\% & 5.6\% & 3.6\% \\ December & 1.4\% & 1.0\% & 2.2\% \\ Yearly Average & 6.9\% & 7.2\% & 6.3\% \\ COVID-19 Period & 10.0\% & 10.4\% & 9.3\% \\ Average & & & \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table} 
Table 2: Change in energy use for 2020 compared to a comparison baseline for Feeders A-D showing monthly energy use. Values are not normalized for temperature. Positive values indicate higher 2020 energy use compared to the counterfactual model constructed using the 2018–2019 baseline during the comparable monthly period. See Figure S2 for the yearly summary of individual feeders and Figure S3 for a weekly summary chart for individual feeders. However, during most parts of the day and night temperatures were near the 18.3 \({}^{\circ}\)C (65 \({}^{\circ}\)F) nominal balance point, where the load is least impacted by temperature. Temperatures were much higher in May: a weighted average of 20.9% warmer (4.2 \({}^{\circ}\)C) with an average 2020 temperature above the balance point of 18.3 \({}^{\circ}\)C, indicating cooling-related energy use as a driver for the increase of 13.4% in average load that month. June 2020 had an average temperature within 1 \({}^{\circ}\)C of the counterfactual (weighted), but an average of 6.2% increase for 2020 against the counterfactual, suggesting increases in non-temperature-sensitive loads. Summer 2020 had generally reduced stay-at-home rates compared to spring with a substantially cooler July compared to the same period in the counterfactual. During August 2020, an extended warm period mid-month increased the average monthly temperature, and the temperature change in the counterfactual. Figure 2: (**a**) Energy usage across all evaluated communities (simple composite average, not temperature normalized) with 2020 observation compared to a 2018–2019 comparison baseline, showing higher energy use. (**b**) Average monthly temperature as measured at weather data source KCQT in downtown Los Angeles observed for 2020 and comparison periods. Energy use strongly follows temperature change in relation to the mean static temperature (MST). perature, which would have otherwise been a month cooler than the comparison monthly period. During this month, yearly record-high energy use in California was recorded.