Congratulations New York! You rank No. 1 in energy efficiency, according to a new study. (Massachusetts, you did OK, but Pennsylvania needs to step up its game.)
You might be rolling your eyes at this news because of MTA issues, Penn Station problems and other mass transportation debacles, but the state of New York ranked first overall — No. 1 for auto efficiency and No. 4 for energy efficiency at home — out of the 48 states considered, according to a new WalletHub study.
Ways to Save Money: Energy Efficiency
Energy is the biggest household expense for Americans. The average U.S. family spends $2,000 per year on utilities. Heating and cooling accounts for more than half the bill, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. The average consumer also dropped another $1,900 on motor fuel and oil in 2016, but amount has been declining in recent years.
Top 10 Best and Worst States for Energy Efficiency
Best
1 New York
2 Vermont
3 Utah
4 Minnesota
5 Massachusetts
6 Rhode Island
7 California
8 Wisconsin
9 Colorado
10 Connecticut
Worst
39 North Dakota
40 Kentucky
41 Georgia
42 Arkansas
43 West Virginia
44 Mississippi
45 Tennessee
46 Alabama
47 Louisiana
48 South Carolina
How WalletHub Calculated Energy Efficiency Rankings
Using data from the U.S. Census Bureau, National Climatic Data Center, Energy Information Administration and Federal Highway Administration, WalletHub calculated “Home Energy Efficiency” and “Auto Energy Efficiency” for 48 states.
Alaska and Hawaii were excluded from the survey. Massachusetts took fifth and Pennsylvania trailed behind in the 18th spot.
New York state earned a total score of 90.22.
Home efficiency was calculated using the ratio of total residential energy consumption to annual degree days. Auto efficiency was calculated by dividing the annual vehicle miles driven by gallons of gasoline consumed to determine vehicle-fuel efficiency and measuring annual vehicle miles driven per capita to determine transportation efficiency.
The scores were graded on a scale of one to 100, with 100 being a perfect score when weighted to proportionally reflect national patterns.
- Home Energy Efficiency – Total Points: 50
- Home Energy Efficiency = Total Residential Energy Consumption per Capita / Annual Degree Days
- Auto Energy Efficiency – Total Points: 50
- Vehicle-Fuel Efficiency = Annual Vehicle Miles Driven / Gallons of Gasoline Consumed
- Transportation Efficiency = Annual Vehicle Miles Driven per Capita
