Energy efficient states—Oklahoma isn’t one of them according to survey

  • October 16, 2024

When it comes to being energy efficient, Oklahoma ranks in the bottom half of the states, according to the personal-finance website WalletHub.

The site released its report on 2024’s Most & Least Energy-Efficient States to see which states save people the most money while also saving the environment. The report came as October is National Energy Awareness Month and showed the average U.S. family spends at least $2,000 a year on utilities.

Oklahoma ranked #35 on the list of the states.

WalletHub compared the energy efficiency of residents’ homes and automobiles in 48 U.S. states. The website explained that due to data limitations, Alaska and Hawaii were excluded from its analysis.

Most Energy-Efficient States Least Energy-Efficient States
1. Washington 39. Georgia
2. New York 40. Kentucky
3. California 41. Tennessee
4. Vermont 42. Arkansas
5. Utah 43. Louisiana
6. Massachusetts 44. Wyoming
7. Oregon 45. Mississippi
8. Minnesota 46. West Virginia
9. Rhode Island 47. Alabama
10. Colorado 48. South Carolina

 

Energy is expensive. In fact, it’s one of the biggest household expenses for American consumers. The average U.S. family spends at least $2,000 per year on utilities, according to the U.S. Department of Energy, with heating and cooling alone accounting for more than half the bill. In addition, the average consumer spent another $2,450 on gasoline in 2023.

The Department of Energy estimates that adopting energy-efficient measures in the home could reduce a family’s utility costs by as much as 25%. It pays to conserve, especially during a time of increasingly warmer temperatures. As for transportation, the agency found that a more fuel-efficient vehicle could save the average driver nearly $900 per year.

In order to gauge the impact of doing more with less energy, WalletHub measured the efficiency of auto- and home-energy consumption in 48 U.S. states. Due to data limitations, Alaska and Hawaii were excluded from our analysis.

Overall Rank*  State Total Score  Home Energy Efficiency Rank  Auto Energy Efficiency Rank 
1 Washington 79.71 2 8
2 New York 79.65 8 3
3 California 78.49 9 4
4 Vermont 75.60 11 7
5 Utah 75.26 6 12
6 Massachusetts 74.87 15 2
7 Oregon 74.81 5 14
8 Minnesota 73.73 3 22
9 Rhode Island 71.54 18 5
10 Colorado 69.78 7 27
11 Nevada 67.60 14 21
12 Maryland 66.34 30 1
13 Illinois 66.02 25 6
14 Maine 65.58 13 28
15 Wisconsin 65.31 16 23
16 South Dakota 65.27 1 46
17 New Jersey 64.60 24 11
18 Idaho 62.14 12 34
19 Iowa 62.05 4 43
20 New Hampshire 61.91 20 29
21 Connecticut 61.33 27 15
22 Pennsylvania 60.57 29 13
23 Michigan 60.27 26 19
24 Kansas 58.94 21 30
25 Arizona 57.93 31 16
26 Ohio 56.75 33 17
27 New Mexico 55.72 17 40
28 North Dakota 55.12 10 47
29 Indiana 54.79 34 18
30 Montana 54.11 19 41
31 Florida 53.40 37 9
32 Nebraska 53.17 22 39
33 Delaware 52.85 35 24
34 Virginia 50.61 36 25
35 Oklahoma 50.05 28 37
36 Texas 47.50 32 38
37 North Carolina 44.08 41 20
38 Missouri 42.87 38 32
39 Georgia 42.25 46 10
40 Kentucky 38.82 39 33
41 Tennessee 38.23 42 31
42 Arkansas 35.70 40 36
43 Louisiana 35.55 47 26
44 Wyoming 35.47 23 48
45 Mississippi 29.34 43 45
46 West Virginia 28.01 45 42
47 Alabama 27.30 44 44
48 South Carolina 21.92 48 35
N/A** Alaska
N/A** Hawaii

Jerry Bohnen