Average Kilowatt Usage Per Month In Texas

The complexity of available electricity plans leads some to just try to find a quick deal and get it all over with. However, additional fees and rate hikes can lead to you paying hundreds of dollars more than your neighbors. How can you be sure that you’re getting the best plan for your family with all of the options? How do you compare to the average kilowatt usage per month in Texas?

So many Texans are paying more than they should for their electricity. Are you sure that you’re not one of them?

Power Wizard can help. 

Our service was designed by experts who know Texas electricity well and want to help you get the best rates. Leave the finding of the best plan and the management of your subscription in the hands of Power Wizard, and start enjoying hassle-free electricity today. Finally, you can have peace of mind knowing that you’ve got your family’s most affordable electricity plan.

Have you ever asked, “What is the average cost of electricity in Texas?”

If so, you are not alone because, like most, you are probably concerned about the amount of energy you use each month to power your Texas home.

Saving money is important to you.

But when you look at your electricity bill, you are not sure if what you are paying is a reasonable cost or not.

You want to understand more about your kilowatt usage, which can be a challenging concept to grasp.

Challenging but not impossible.

Keep reading this guide to help you to better understand:

• How your kilowatt usage per month compares to the average usage in Texas.
• What factors can affect your kilowatt usage?
• How your kilowatt usage affects your monthly electricity bill.

 

What Is The Average Kilowatt Usage Per Month In Texas?

When you are running your air conditioner during the hot summer months or casually staying at home on the weekends after a long work week, you may not realize it, but…

Almost all of our daily activities require us to use energy, and our Retail Electricity Providers (REPs) measure how much energy we use in units known as kilowatts per hour (kWh).

According to data released by the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) in 2018, the average Texan home consumed about 1,176 kWh per month.

It is important to note two things about this figure:

1. It represents the average energy consumption in homes, not businesses.
2. An average is not an exact figure, as it represents tendencies of outlying data (very high and very low figures).

Let’s dive into why and how Texans use 1,176 kWh per month.

What Is A Kilowatt?

One kilowatt is equivalent to 1000 watts, so one kWh is measuring how many watts of energy are consumed in one hour. This can vary depending on how much energy is needed for different situations.

For example, think about a light bulb. There are various types of light bulbs, and we classify them based on their wattage, for example, a 50-watt bulb vs. a 100-watt bulb.

One bulb takes 50-watts of power to light up, while the other requires 100-watts of power.

Can you guess which one uses more kilowatts per hour?

The 50-watt bulb will have to run for 20 hours to use 1000 watts, which is one kilowatt. At the same time, the 100-watt bulb will require 10 hours to consume 1000 watts or one kilowatt.

The 100-watt bulb uses more kilowatts per hour.

×

Factors That Affect The Average Kilowatt Usage Per Month In Texas

The average kilowatt usage per month depends on a combination of variables:

• Where you live
• Your family dynamics
• The structure of your home

These different variables can make the average kilowatt usage for you and other homes in Texas increase or decrease.

These are just a few factors that affect your average kilowatt usage; there are SO many more.

For a more comprehensive understanding of how the following factors affect your kilowatt usage, use Power Wizard’s Free Savings Estimate tool.

Factor #1: Weather

Texas is the second-largest state in our nation, which means that the weather can be drastically different in the northern part of the state versus the southern part.

The city of McAllen has the warmest average temperature in Texas, while Amarillo has the coldest average temperature among all cities.

Although both of these cities are in Texas, each of their average temperatures will directly affect the average kilowatt usage of their residents per month.

For example, during the summer months, the residents of McAllen are likely to use their air conditioners more than those who live in Amarillo.

McAllen residents could potentially use more kilowatt-hours in the summer than Amarillo residents.

Factor #2: Location (Zip Code)

When you are looking for electricity services, 99% of the time, your zip code is the first thing that you have to share to get an accurate estimate of the cost of electricity in your area.

Have you ever thought about why?

Transmission and Delivery Utilities (TDUs)

In 2002, the electricity in Texas was deregulated in many areas, and that resulted in different “territories” being assigned to electric utility companies.

These utility companies are responsible for maintaining and transmitting energy to your electricity provider; however, they sell their energy to these companies according to the market rate.

Some utility companies charge more or less per kilowatt-hour than others.

Then your electricity provider marks up that rate for you to pay. But since the Retail Electricity Providers are privately-owned, they can charge as they wish.

So, depending on what area you live in, you will pay at least the rate that the utility company has set, with a mark-up price from your electricity provider for each kilowatt-hour.

If you were to go to Google right now and look for electricity rates in a zip code located in downtown Dallas and then a zip code for a neighborhood that is port-side in Galveston, you would see different rates.

It is all connected to the deregulation of electricity and how much energy is used in certain areas of the state.

Factor #3: Age Of Home

The age of your home can have a significant impact on your average kilowatt usage per month.

×

You may be wondering…

What does the age of a home have to do with the average kilowatt usage per month in Texas?

Let’s consider this…

• A home built in the 1990s will most likely not be as energy-efficient as a home built in the 2010s.
• Typically, older homes have older appliances.
• More modern homes are built with energy-efficient ovens, microwaves, and even air conditioners.
• Both the age of your home and the age of the appliances inside can affect your kilowatt usage.

How Do You Know How Old Your Home Is?

If you are unsure, you can easily find out in one of these two ways:

• If you are renting, your leasing agreement will show the age of your home or apartment.
• Use one of the popular real estate online websites, and you can find the year the home or apartment was built.
• If you live in a home you have purchased, you can find the year your home was built on your deed.

Factor #4: Square Footage

The square footage of your home will affect your average kilowatt usage per month in Texas.

Let’s take this scenario as an example:

A man named Dave lives in Dallas. He is a hardworking entrepreneur who, after 20 years, has established a profitable technology business. Dave is ready to purchase his dream home for him and his family to enjoy. It’s a 3,800 square foot, custom-built home.

There is another man named John who also lives in Dallas. He just accepted his first job offer after graduating from college. John is looking forward to moving into a quiet, contemporary studio flat near midtown Dallas. His new living space is 600 square feet.

Will Dave and John use the same kilowatts per month?

Dave’s 3,800 square foot home will use a lot more energy than John’s 600 square foot studio flat.

How Do You Know How Big Your Home Is?

You can easily find this information:

• By reviewing your leasing agreement, if you are renting.
• By referring to your property records, if you have purchased your home.

Factor #5: Lifestyle

It is obvious that from family to family, lifestyles can be so different.

For example, some families wash dishes by hand, while others use a dishwasher after every meal.

You can imagine that a household that uses a dishwasher almost three times a day would use significantly more kilowatts than a family that does not use the dishwasher at all.

There could be a list of a hundred more examples of how different people choose to live day to day in their homes, but the bottom line is that…

Every household has its own average kilowatt usage per month in Texas based on its unique lifestyle.

The more energy that is required to power a home, the more kilowatts are used.

You can always evaluate your current lifestyle and make changes that will allow you to consume less energy and, thus, save money.

×

Factor #6: Number Of People In The Home

According to Shrink That Footprint, one person uses (on average) about 4,500 kWh per year in their home.

Therefore, we can estimate the following kWh used per month based on the number of people in a household:

• One person – 375 kWh
• Two people – 750 kWh
• Three people – 1125 kWh
• Four people – 1500 kWh
• Five people – 1875 kWh

Let’s imagine a young married couple with no children versus a couple with three school-aged children.

• The young married couple shares the same bedroom and bathroom and even watches television together most of the time.
• The family with three children (five total family members) has multiple bedrooms, bathrooms, and TVs to watch.

The young couple would use significantly less power than the family of five, estimating about 1125 kWh less per month.

Generally, when you have more people in your home, you can expect to use more kilowatts per hour.

Calculate Your Monthly Usage Per Month

As you can see, there are a variety of factors that affect your average kilowatt usage per month, but it is essentially the amount of energy you need to power your home.

After looking at your monthly usage, you may be wondering if you are using too much energy.

To get an estimate of how much energy you are using, you have two options:

• Do some math to calculate on your own
• Look at your previous months’ electricity bills

Calculating your monthly usage can help you to see how much energy you may be using so that you can adjust if necessary, which in turn can save you money on your monthly electricity bill.

×

Calculate Your Monthly Usage Manually

1. Identify which household appliances you use (see below)
2. Find out how many kilowatts per hour are used on average each month.
3. Add all of the figures together to get your monthly average kilowatt usage.

Common Household Appliance Energy Use

Listed below are some common appliances and their estimated kilowatts hours per month.

Please note that these figures can vary greatly depending on your family size, age of the appliance, and lifestyle.

• Iron – 12 kWh per month
• Clock – 2 kWh per month
• Toaster – 3 kWh per month
• Hair Dryer – 4 kWh per month
• Dishwasher – 30 kWh per month
• Clothes Dryer – 80 kWh per month
• Vacuum Cleaner – 2 kWh per month
• Microwave oven – 16 kWh per month
• Lighting (5 rooms) – 75 kWh per month
• Broiler or Roaster – 12 kWh per month
• Conventional Stove – 100 kWh per month
• Self Cleaning Stove – 105 kWh per month
• Television (6 hours a day) – 40 kWh per month
• Refrigerator (12 cubic feet) – 65 kWh per month
• Central Heating/Air Conditioner – 360 kWh per month
• Water Heater (2,400 gallons/month) – 616 kWh per month

Now you can do a rough estimate of the average kilowatt usage in your home by adding together the average kWh per month for each of the appliances used in your home each month.

Calculate Your Monthly Average By

Using Previous Months’ Bills

The simplest way to find out what your historical usage is is to look at your previous months’ electricity bills.

As you look at these bills, you can see exactly how much energy you have used in the past months.

However, be aware of the following two things as you look at these figures:

• Your usage in the winter months is going to look significantly different than during the summer months. Therefore, you will need to look at your historical kilowatt usage over an entire year.
• If you haven’t lived in your home for an entire year, it can be a challenge to get an accurate figure. However, you can ask your realtor, leasing manager, or landlord what the historical usage has been for the previous household. This will only give you an estimate that is based more on other factors such as the size, age, and typical usage in the past.

×

How Does Your Usage Compare To The Texas Average?

After you have taken the time to find your kilowatt usage, you can compare it to Texas’s average kilowatt usage per month of 1,176 kWh.

So, how does your usage compare?

Are you far below or above the average kilowatt usage for your Texas home?

No matter how you fared when comparing against the state’s average, how will you know that you are paying the best rate for your energy consumption?

Remember the different factors that can affect your usage:

• Weather
• Location of your home
• Age of your home
• Square footage
• Lifestyle

Some of these factors you can consider and make adjustments, but others you may not be able to adjust.

Knowing how many kilowatts your household uses each month is important, but it is only one piece of data if you are wanting to understand how your monthly bill works and how you can save money each month.

Why Does It Matter?

You are now a more informed consumer of the ins and outs of kilowatt usage, which gives you an advantage when comparing electricity rates in Texas.

Now that you have a pretty good estimate of your average kilowatt usage per month, you can use that information to help you choose an electricity plan that complements your usage.

Use Your Average Kilowatt Usage To Choose The Right Electricity Plan

When you research what electricity companies charge per kilowatt-hour, you will see rates that correspond to varying degrees of average monthly usage:

• 500kWh
• 1000kWh
• 2000kWh

The categories with higher usage categories typically cost you less per kWh.

So, it is important to choose a plan that will cover your average monthly kilowatt usage, which can help you choose the right electricity plan.

Electricity providers highlight their rates per kWh so that you can solely be attracted to the perceived value, but…

There may be additional costs in the fine print if you do not select the correct plan based on our average kilowatt usage for your home.

For example:

If you sign up for an 11.2 cents per kWh plan that requires you to use at least 2000kWh per month, but your average monthly usage is 1500kWh, you could pay additional fees for falling short of the minimum.

This means that you could pay more than 11.2 cents per kWh when you include additional fees.

All of this can be confusing, BUT…

There is an easier way to find the best electricity plan that considers all your household’s unique factors and your monthly kilowatt usage per month.

How to Easily Find the Best Electricity Plan For Your Needs

Now that you have a better understanding of your average kilowatt usage per month and how it impacts your monthly bill, you may realize that your current plan is not meeting your monthly kilowatt usage needs.

It may be time to consider switching to an electricity company that can best meet your needs.

Use Power Wizard’s 100% unbiased Free Savings Estimate tool to find the best electricity rate for you.

The Savings Calculator considers all of your household’s individualized factors and chooses the best electricity company and rate for your home.

This is your chance to save money and have confidence knowing that when you pay your bill each month, you are no longer overspending.

Get started with the Free Savings Calculator today.