| Regional Energy Profile |
| WEST SOUTH CENTRAL APPLIANCE REPORT 2001 |
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Return to Regional Energy Profiles Return to Appliance Reports Subscribe to Our Listserv for Notice of New Products CONTENTS OF THIS REPORT Air-Conditioning Electric Appliances Gas Appliances U.S. Data Table West South Central Data Table LINKS TO RELATED DATA PRODUCTS West South Central Residential Energy Map West South Central Renewable Potential Map Residential Energy Consumption Survey 2001 Regional Energy Data Sources U.S. Census Regions and Divisions Map West South Central State Pages: Arkansas Louisiana Oklahoma Texas |
Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas make up the West South Central Census Division on the Gulf of Mexico in the southern United States. Compared with other Census Divisions, the West South Central has the hottest summers and the mildest winters in the country, and air-conditioning requirements are generally higher than in the other areas of the United States. Annual precipitation averages 35 inches, somewhat more than the U.S. average of 30 inches. Households in the West South Central States consumed 1.05 quadrillion Btu of energy in 1997 (the most recent year for which data are available). That consumption accounted for about 10 percent of the nationwide total of 10.2 quadrillion Btu. About 31 percent of household energy consumed in the United States as a whole was used to operate appliances (including refrigerators) and to run electric air-conditioning. In the West South Central States, about 45 percent of household energy was used for that purpose. Air-conditioning was more prevalent in the West South Central households, but, for the most part, appliances were found in West South Central households about as often as in U.S. households. The higher share of energy consumption devoted to appliances and air-conditioning in the West South Central States is attributable to the hotter climate in the Division and the resulting lower demand for space and water heating. AIR-CONDITIONING The West South Central States experience the hottest summers in the country. Summers are, on average, more than twice as hot as the U.S. average1 and space-cooling requirements are substantially higher than in the rest of the country. As would be expected, air-conditioning is more prevalent in the West South Central States than anywhere else in the country. |
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In all U.S. households, the prevalence of air-conditioning increased significantly from 57 percent of households in 1980 to 77 percent of households in 2001 (U.S. Data Table).
Over the same period, the prevalence of air-conditioning in West South Central households increased from 82 percent in 1980 to 98 percent in 2001 (West South Central Data Table). In West South Central households, central air-conditioning was dominant. By 2001, 79 percent of households had central air-conditioning, and 19 percent had room units only. (Households with both central air-conditioning and room units are counted as "central.") By comparison, 55 percent of U.S. households overall had central air-conditioning in 2001 and 23 percent had room units only. ELECTRIC APPLIANCES Air-conditioners not only cool indoor air but also dehumidify it, so it is not surprising that dehumidifiers are in less demand in the South, where the incidence of air-conditioners is higher. In 2001, only 2 percent of West South Central households had dehumidifiers, compared with 11 percent nationwide. West South Central households were about as likely as U.S. households to have clothes washers, freezers, ranges, and two refrigerators (as opposed to one). Clothes dryers, dishwashers, and microwave ovens were found somewhat more frequently in West South Central households. However, West South Central households were less likely to have personal computers. Personal computers (as well as televisions) differ from the other appliances in the EIA survey in that they are primarily electronic equipment. The market share of personal computers has shown remarkable growth nationwide since it was first surveyed in 1990. That year, 16 percent of all U.S. households had computers; by 2001, the share was 56 percent. In the West South Central States, the share of households with computers grew from 12 percent in 1990 to 49 percent in 2001. GAS APPLIANCES "Gas appliances" are appliances that use natural gas or, less frequently, liquefied petroleum gases (LPG). Nationwide, three out of four homes have access to natural gas in their neighborhoods, whereas in the West South Central States, four out of five households have access. However, gas appliances are found no more frequently in West South Central households than in U.S. households on average. Gas clothes dryers, for example, were found in 16 percent of West South Central households and 17 percent of U.S. households in 2001, and gas ranges were found in 40 percent of West South Central households and 39 percent of U.S. households. ________________ 1The seasonal temperature differences are calculated using degree-day data. A "degree-day" is a unit of measure of outdoor air temperature relative to a standard temperature. |