Maine ranks 11th among energy-efficient states, but trails others regionally
Maine ranks 11th in a national ranking of the most energy-efficient states by personal finance website WalletHub. But in New England, Maine had the second-lowest overall rating, and throughout the Northeast, the fourth-lowest.
The most energy-efficient states, according to the WalletHub analysis released last week, were Utah, New York and Massachusetts. The least energy-efficient states were Alabama and West Virginia, followed by South Carolina in last place. Alaska and Hawaii were excluded from the study.
While Maine ranked 10th in measurements related to home efficiency, the state was 24th in a comparison of efficient automobile use, WalletHub found.
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, the average U.S. family spends at least $2,000 a year on utilities, with heating and cooling accounting for half the bill. In 2020, the average consumer spent $1,568 on motor fuel and oil.
Adopting energy efficient measures in the home could help a family reduce their utility costs by as much as 25 percent, the Department of Energy estimated. A more fuel-efficient vehicle could save the average driver $788 a year.
For the methodology used for the rankings, WalletHub calculated the ratio of total residential energy consumption to annual degree days to find home energy efficiency. For auto efficiency, WalletHub divided annual vehicle miles driven by gallons of gasoline consumed to find vehicle fuel efficiency. It then measured annual vehicle miles driven per capita to determine transportation efficiency.
Each category was weighted to reflect national consumption patterns.
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