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Home energy

Backup power and a warmer, cheaper house.

11 articles

A utility lineworker repairing a power line from the top of a pole

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How long do power outages last? US outage statistics (2026)

The average US customer went without power for 11 hours in 2024 with major events and about two hours without, according to…
An electric car plugged into a Level 2 charger at home

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How much does it cost to charge an electric car? About $4.50 to $7.30 per 100 miles at home

A 2026 Chevrolet Equinox EV costs about $5.65 per 100 miles to charge at home, using the US residential average of 18.19…
A smart electricity meter on the side of a house showing its kWh reading

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How many kWh does a house use in the US, and what it depends on

The average US home used 10,359 kWh of electricity in 2024, or 863 kWh a month, by EIA's count of what utilities…
A residential electric meter that counts kilowatt-hours

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Electricity cost per kWh by state (2026)

The average US home paid 18.31 cents per kWh for electricity in July 2026, and Hawaii was the most expensive state at…
The outdoor unit of a split heat pump system beside a house

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Heat pump vs furnace, and which one costs less to run

In 2025 a heat pump had to reach a seasonal COP of about 3.25 to cost the same to run as a…
Frost and snow on the outdoor unit of an air-source heat pump beside a brick wall

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What is a heat pump? An electric machine that moves heat

A heat pump is an electric machine that moves heat into your home from outdoors, and ENERGY STAR says it can deliver…
Color thermal infrared image of a house showing heat escaping through its roof and walls

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The sources of home heat loss

Air leaks, a thin attic, old windows, leaky ducts, and uninsulated floors are where a house loses heat, and together they waste…
Steam rising from the cooling towers of the John Amos power plant on the Kanawha River in West Virginia

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How much wasted energy the US produces, and where it goes

See how much wasted energy the US produces each year, where it goes by sector, and what current LLNL, EIA and DOE numbers say is cutting it.
Large yellow ground-source heat pump condenser piping at a campus geothermal system

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How much a geothermal heat pump costs and how it works

A geothermal heat pump doesn't tap into volcanic heat. It works because the ground a few feet down holds a steady temperature year-round, and installed systems for a typical home run $15,000 to $40,000.
Two Tesla Powerwall 3 home batteries mounted on a garage wall with a disconnect box

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The best home battery backup systems in 2026, and what they cost

A home battery backup costs $15,650 installed on average in 2026. Compare Tesla Powerwall 3, FranklinWH, Enphase, Generac and EcoFlow plug-in kits.
Jackery Explorer 1000 portable power station on a wooden floor

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The best portable power stations in 2026

The best portable power station for most people is the EcoFlow DELTA 3 Plus. Compare 7 picks for home backup and camping, with specs and 2026 prices.