Dive Brief:
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Connecticut has the highest per-household monthly energy costs at an average rate of $380, according to a WalletHub analysis of energy bills in the U.S.
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Alaska ($332), Rhode Island ($329), Massachusetts ($327) and Wyoming ($320) round out the top five highest-paying states, while Illinois ($247), Oregon ($246), Colorado ($228), Washington ($226) and the District of Columbia ($219) had the lowest monthly costs.
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Southern states like Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi consumed the most energy per consumer in the U.S., at three times the rate of those in California, New York and Hawaii.
Dive Insight:
To be considered affordable, energy costs should account for 6% or less of household income. However, low-income households can end up spending more than 20% of their earnings on payments. One way to reduce reliance on pricey energy is to make homes more efficient.
Green residential construction spending is forecast to reach $100.4 billion next year, up from $55 billion in 2015, according to the U.S. Green Building Council.
That spending is being fueled in part by an increase in the number of U.S. cities that are making the transition to more sustainable energy sources. Owners and AEC professionals, in turn, are responding by taking steps toward using sustainable construction methods, energy-efficient building products and even building management systems that can monitor the project throughout its life.
Solar energy is one part of the shift. Though its uptake in the residential market may slow in 2017, that decline will be short-lived as service providers retool and plan for growth. Rooftop photovoltaic applications have been shown to increase home premiums and help homes sell faster.
The U.S. Department of Energy predicts the number of homes with solar installations could quadruple by 2020 to nearly 4 million.
