2024 Residential Energy Consumption Survey Releases New Data

Editor’s Note: A version of this news release first appeared in the National Propane Gas Association’s The Bobtail.

According to recently released data from the 2024 Residential Energy Consumption Survey (RECS), the number of single-family homes in the U.S. increased from 84.5 million in 2020, to 91.1 million in 2024, an increase of 7.8 percent. Over this four-year period, the country added 6.6 million single-family homes – with 3 million constructed in rural areas. The size of homes is also increasing. The average square footage of a single-family home is now 2,248 square feet, up from 2,207 square feet in 2020. 

In the residential market, single-family homes – especially those in rural areas – are disproportionately likely to use propane for space and water heating applications. This is due to the unique energy and economic characteristics of detached dwellings, which are different than apartments, condominiums or townhouses. Space heating is, by a significant margin, the most energy-intensive application in a single-family home. 

In contrast, in many multi-family homes, such as apartments, water heating dominates energy use because of the thermal benefits of being physically connected to another unit within a larger structure. As homes increase in size, as is the trend nationally, the amount of energy needed to keep them at a comfortable temperature during the heating season, increases as well. 

Across the country, Texas, Florida, and North Carolina are seeing large increases in single-family home construction. Combined, these three states have 655,000 households using propane for primary space heating. For more information on the benefits of using propane in the residential sector, visit the Home Use section of the Propane Education & Research Council’s website.