New Homes Use More Energy

Despite steady increases in residential energy-efficiency technologies, homes built over the past decade use an average 92.7 million Btus of energy each year, more than homes built in the previous three decades, according to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Energy Information Administration. DOE blames the larger size of new homes for the increased energy usage, in addition to the higher incomes of the owners of newer homes, which may discourage energy conservation and encourage the purchase of electronics and appliances. Details are online at www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/recs/recs2001/detail_tables.html.