MILWAUKEE, Wis. – Americans spend a lot of money on energy every year. In fact, it’s actually one of the largest household expenses for the average American homeowner. But some states have gotten better at implementing energy-efficient habits in hopes of saving some extra cash.
To determine which state is the most energy-efficient, WalletHub ranked each state based off how efficient its energy was both at home and in the car.
How much does energy cost?
Dig deeper:
According to WalletHub, the average family in the U.S. spends at least $2,000 on utilities such as heating and cooling. On top of that, the average resident in the U.S. spends roughly $2,400 per year on gasoline.
By implementing simple energy-efficient measures in your home could cut some utility expenses by up to 25%, while switching to a fuel-efficient vehicle can save drivers over $1,000 per year, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.
How energy-efficient in the Midwest?
Local perspective:
Landing at the top of the list for the Midwest was Minnesota, which ranked as the ninth most energy-efficient state in the country. The North Star state finished ranked 9th for home energy efficiency and 19th for auto energy efficiency.
Not far behind was Wisconsin at No. 11, which finished 18th for home energy efficiency and 9th for auto efficiency.
Other Midwest states near the top include South Dakota at No. 15, with the best home energy efficiency rank in the country, Illinois at No. 17, Michigan at No. 20 and Iowa at No. 21.
Check out the full list of how every Midwest state ranked from most to least energy-efficient:
- No. 9: Minnesota — 9th for home energy efficiency and 19th for auto energy efficiency
- No. 11: Wisconsin — 18th for home energy efficiency and 9th for auto energy efficiency
- No. 15: South Dakota — 1st for home energy efficiency and 46th for auto energy efficiency
- No. 17: Illinois — 28th for home energy efficiency and 8th for auto energy efficiency
- No. 20: Michigan — 25th for home energy efficiency and 14th for auto energy efficiency
- No. 21: Iowa — 6th for home energy efficiency and 45th for auto energy efficiency
- No. 29 : Ohio — 33rd for home energy efficiency and 20th for auto energy efficiency
- No. 32: Indiana — 36th for home energy efficiency and 21st for auto energy efficiency
- No. 33: North Dakota — 17th for home energy efficiency and 47th for auto energy efficiency
Rest of the country
Big picture view:
As for the rest of the U.S., California landed at the top of the list with the 3rd best home energy efficiency rank and 2nd for auto energy efficiency.
Vermont finished just behind at No. 2, followed by New York at No. 3, and Washington at No. 4.
On the other end, South Carolina finished with the worst energy efficiency in the country, with Alabama as the second-worst.
The Source: This story was written using a study done by WalletHub and was reported out of Eden Prairie, Minnesota.