Survey: Arizona is middle of pack when it comes to energy efficiency
Oct 21, 2018, 4:56 AM
(Photo from Salt River Project).
(Photo from Salt River Project)
PHOENIX — When it comes to energy efficiency, sunny Arizona may seem like a logical choice as one of the top states in the country.
But a recent survey by WalletHub of 48 states — due to data limitations, Alaska and Hawaii were excluded — had Arizona in the middle of the road when it comes to efficiency.
Out a possible score of 100 points, 50 for home energy and 50 for auto energy, Arizona came in at No. 24 with a score of 55.48.
While the state ranked in the top 10 in terms of auto energy efficiency (16), Arizona fell down the list when looking at home energy efficiency, ranking 30th.
“There are a lot of available options out there for energy efficient homes from solar panels to geothermal,” Milwaukee School of Engineering professor Blake E. Wentz told WalletHub on tips to increase home efficiency. “My recommendations start with a smart thermostat. These items are very inexpensive and help optimize your energy by turning the heating and cooling down depending on the occupancy.
“People should research all these small items that can lead up to big savings if they are going to build an energy efficient home.”
According to WalletHub, the auto findings were found by dividing the annual vehicle miles driven by gallons of gasoline consumed to determine vehicle-fuel efficiency and measure annual vehicle miles driven per capita. Home efficiency was discovered by calculating the ratio of total residential energy consumption to annual degree days.
Looking at the rest of the states, New York took home top honors with a total score of 84.41. The state ranked second and third in home and auto efficiency, respectively.
Vermont was the top state in terms of home energy efficiency, while Rhode Island was first in auto.
Rounding out the ranking was South Carolina, which came in at 48th in home energy and 44 in auto.
