Did you know that this past Sunday, January 10, was Cut Your Energy Costs Day around the world? Though it’s probably not a holiday that you had on your calendar, it’s certainly a great idea! In fact, we would encourage you to celebrate it all year long. We found it interesting to take a look at energy use around the world.
- About 80% of the world’s population has access to electricity. This number has increased greatly in the last decade.
- Countries vary widely in the amount of electricity used per household, likely due to factors like wealth, household size, actual size of household structures, and access to alternative sources of energy.
- Canada has the highest average household usage of electricity, followed closely by the United States.
- About 14% of U.S. residential electricity consumption comes from lighting. Lighting in the commercial sector accounts for about 19% of total electricity.
- Each American uses about 4,500 kWh per year at home, which is about six times the global average.
- Countries also vary widely in the change in usage over time. Brazil’s use per person has remained stable for 20 years, Mexico’s has increased 50% and China’s has increased 600%.
While some countries may see an increase over the next decade due to more availability of electricity, it is the hope of many experts that efficiency will improve, reducing personal energy usage in most industrialized nations.
Perhaps you made it a resolution in 2016 to save on your energy costs at home or in your business. Perhaps you are looking for help to increase your efficiency in your business. We encourage you to continue making those changes, small or large, that add up to make a big difference. These include changing to energy efficient lighting or appliances, turning items off when not in use, eliminating power vampires form your home or business, and looking for other ways that you may be wasting energy. Together, we can work to cut our energy costs and reduce electricity usage across the planet.
Sources: Eia, Shrink that Footprint, How Stuff Works