Is Your Smartphone Sabotaging Your Electric Bill?

Published
American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG)

You probably paid a spectacularly large bill for home heating this winter and are now wondering how much gasoline prices will rise before you start on the family vacation.

Instead, you should probably be putting your phone, tablet, computer and television on a diet.

The chart from the Energy Information Administration shows that total home energy use has increased very little–per-household energy consumption is not shown but is down. But the share consumed by appliances, electronics and lighting has ballooned. A side note: the 2009 graph does not reflect the impact of energy-efficient light bulbs that were mandated starting in 2012.

EIA’s data on energy use for electronics may also be badly out of date: EIA data are from 2009, when their home energy survey found that the average American home had 2.5 televisions; 79 percent of homes had a DVD and 43 percent of homes had a DVR; and nearly a third of homes had four electronic devices such as cell phones charging at home.

A more recent survey by Pew Research shows that as of January 2014:

  • 90% of American adults have a cell phone
  • 58% of American adults have a smartphone
  • 32% of American adults own an e-reader
  • 42% of American adults own a tablet computer

Getting back to home heating and gasoline, EIA projects:

  • The average price of a gallon of regular gasoline in the U.S. will be $3.48 in 2014, down from $3.63 in 2012 and $3.51 in 2013.
  • In the short term,regular gasoline retail prices for the summer driving season are forecast to average $3.61/gallon, 3 cents higher than last summer.
  • Natural gas, the dominant home heating energy, will average $11.17 per thousand cubic feet (mcf) in 2014, up from $10.31/mcf.

These trends look rather benign. Looking back at the worst of the winter energy prices: peak prices for electricity in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast were over $200 per megawatt hour (MWh). The prices were under $50/MWh in October and November. The electricity price spike reflected record-high spot natural gas prices.

What Can I Do?

Add Item

Enter Notes:
 
* You must be logged in to name and customize your collection.
Recommend Recommend
Printable Version Printable Version Email to a friend Email to a friend

See Also: ICE Networking Event

ICE Networking Event Capital Suite 1 Women in Geosciences Forum - Leadership: Technically-Adept and Business-Savvy in the Petroleum Industry Women in Geosciences Forum - Leadership: Technically-Adept and Business-Savvy in the Petroleum Industry Desktop /Portals/0/PackFlashItemImages/WebReady/ice-2017-networking-activity-hero.jpg?width=100&h=100&mode=crop&anchor=middlecenter&quality=75amp;encoder=freeimage&progressive=true 40582

See Also: Workshop

Workshop URTeC Workshop - Understanding Parent-Child Well Dynamics URTeC Workshop - Understanding Parent-Child Well Dynamics Desktop /Portals/0/PackFlashItemImages/WebReady/URTeC-Workshop-Midland-hero.jpg?width=100&h=100&mode=crop&anchor=middlecenter&quality=75amp;encoder=freeimage&progressive=true 50605

See Also: Explorer Article

Explorer Article CCS and CCUS face many of the same challenges, but the U in CCUS provides revenue opportunities How the U Adds Value in CCUS How the U Adds Value in CCUS Desktop /Portals/0/PackFlashItemImages/WebReady/how-the-u-adds-value-in-ccus-hero.jpg?width=100&h=100&mode=crop&anchor=middlecenter&quality=75amp;encoder=freeimage&progressive=true 66934

See Also: Explorer Director’s Corner

Explorer Director’s Corner The recent pause on all pending LNG permit requests comes at a time when demand is expected to increase 50 percent by 2040. Biden Administration Hamstrings LNG Potential Biden Administration Hamstrings LNG Potential Desktop /Portals/0/PackFlashItemImages/WebReady/curtiss-david-large-aug22.jpg?width=100&h=100&mode=crop&anchor=middlecenter&quality=75amp;encoder=freeimage&progressive=true 66906

See Also: Foundation Update

Foundation Update AAPG Foundation Newsletter - March 2024 AAPG Foundation Newsletter - March 2024 Desktop /Portals/0/PackFlashItemImages/WebReady/blog-foundation-newsletter-march-2024-hero.jpg?width=100&h=100&mode=crop&anchor=middlecenter&quality=75amp;encoder=freeimage&progressive=true 66897

Energy Policy Office