Alabama ranked the second-least energy-efficient state in a study conducted by WalletHub on the continental United States.
States were ranked on both home energy efficiency and auto energy efficiency, then given a total score which was used to determine rank.
To calculate home energy efficiency, WalletHub used the ratio of total residential energy consumption to annual degree days or days that require heating and cooling.
To calculate auto energy efficiency, the researchers divided the annual vehicle miles driven by gallons of gasoline consumed and also measured the vehicle miles driven per capita each year.
The total score was given on a 100-point scale, 50 possible points for home energy efficiency and 50 possible points for auto energy efficiency, with 100 representing optimal total energy efficiency.
Alabama scored 29.93 overall, ranking 47th out of the 48 continental states.
The only state to come behind Alabama was South Carolina at 22.99.
Massachusetts was the highest-ranking state at 86.57, followed by New York at 83.89 and Rhode Island at 82.10.
Since the study was only conducted on continental states, Alaska and Hawaii were excluded from the study.
Alabama also ranked 47th purely in home energy efficiency but only ranked 35th in auto efficiency.
WalletHub also recorded energy costs.
Some high-efficiency states, like California, ranked high on energy costs. Nevertheless, others, like Massachusetts, ranked considerably low.
Wyoming was the least expensive state for energy costs, and New Mexico was the most expensive. Alabama ranked 22nd.
According to the study, the average U.S. family spends at least $2,000 every year on utilities, most of which are for heating and cooling. In 2021, the average consumer spent $2,148 on fuel.
The researchers claimed that adopting energy-efficient measures at home could reduce utility costs by as much as a quarter, and using a more fuel-efficient vehicle could save drivers around $970 annually.
The study did not directly mention that using more fuel-efficient vehicles, namely electric vehicles, may increase home energy use.
According to Investopedia, charging an electric vehicle could add up from $360 to $720 a year to your utility bill. Nevertheless, this might be surpassed by the money saved on fuel.
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