Coloradans spend an average of $301 on energy monthly — the lowest in the nation — according to a recent study by WalletHub.com.
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Washington, Montana, Rhode Island and Nebraska followed the Centennial state in the top five .
To get the average, the researchers used six metrics — average monthly electricity consumption and price; average natural-gas consumption and price, and average gasoline consumption and price. Then they multiplied cost by consumption amount to obtain the average monthly energy cost.
Colorado had the lowest natural-gas prices in the nation, and the next lowest figure was the average consumption of electricity per consumer (706 kilowatts per hour, which was 14th in the nation).
WalletHub.com CEO Odysseas Papadimitriou said he thinks mild summers and dry air help reduce air-conditioning use in any state.
“If you had to spend a lot of time cooling down homes and using more electricity, then that would be a different story,” he said.
But it pays for everyone to do their homework, identify what costs them the most, and then try to reduce their use of that form of energy first, Papadimitriou said. He had three tips.
1. Buy a fuel-efficient car.
On average , car fuel is 50 percent of a consumer’s overall energy cost, according to Papadimitriou. He said purchasing a fuel-efficient car is one of the best ways to reduce fuel consumption.
2. Get used to a slightly warmer indoor temperature during the summer.
Most people like to have their home’s internal temperature in the mid-60s to low 70s, but getting accustomed to a solid 75 degrees will save them a lot of money on air conditioning.
“Electricity is the second biggest energy cost, not natural gas,” said Papadimitriou.
3. Understand the importance of good insulation.
This doesn’t have to be complicated. Just a covering a window with a curtain will block chilly drafts in the winter and room-cooking sunlight in the summer said Papadimitriou.
“If a curtain can do that, imagine what more sophisticated insulation can do, such as thicker windows and better technology,” he said.
Be aware that a huge divide in energy costs exists between the least and most expensive states — almost a 50 percent margin. Hawaiians, for example, paid $451 in monthly energy costs. Over a year, that’s $1,800 more.
One of the purposes of the study, Papadimitriou said, was to help those thinking of moving to gauge expenses beforehand.
The study used data from the U.S. Energy Information Association, the Federal Highway Administration, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and AAA’s daily fuel-gauge report .
Jordan Gonzalez: 303-954-1395, jgonzalez@denverpost.com, @jordanrgonzo
