U.S. residential energy consumption fell by 4 percent year over year in 2020, even though more people stayed at home to work or attend school during the lockdowns last year, the EIA said on Monday. Warmer winter months of 2020 led to lower demand for space heating, which offset increased electricity retail consumption because of work-from-home and remote schooling, the administration said in its Monthly Energy Review. Electricity consumption in the residential sector increased by 2 percent last year compared to 2019, as many people worked from home and continued to work from home even after the restrictions were eased. Relatively warm temperatures in the summer also helped higher electricity retail sales as warm weather led to increased consumption of electricity for air conditioning at homes, according to the EIA. The higher electricity sales, however, were entirely offset by lower demand for space heating in the winter months of […]

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