By admin 
With rising gas prices and the onset of cooler weather, energy costs are on the minds of Californians. Energy costs are one of the biggest household expenses with the average family spending at least $2,000 per year on utilities alone, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.
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WalletHub measured the efficiency of auto and home energy consumption in 48 states. Alaska and Hawaii were excluded from the analysis due to data limitations.
Check out where California landed on the ranking:
How are the most energy efficient states determined?
WalletHub analyzed the home and auto energy efficiency across the contiguous United States.
Home energy efficiency was calculated by looking at the ratio of total residential energy consumption per capita to annual degree days.
Auto energy efficiency was determined by looking at the annual miles driven per capita, and creating a ratio of annual miles driven to gallons of gas consumed.
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Based on these factors, each state was given a score out of 100 and ranked accordingly.
Where did California rank?
The Golden State topped the chart as the most energy-efficient state in the nation. California has the lowest residential energy consumption per capita and the third-highest home energy efficiency.
Residents drive fewer miles per year than people in all but five other states, an average of just 8,297 miles per year. California also has the seventh-highest vehicle fuel efficiency.
Whic states ranked in the top 10?
From the major cities of the East Coast to the wide open landscapes in the pacific northwest. Here are the state rankings:
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- California
- Vermont
- New York
- Washing
- Massachusetts
- Oregon
- Colorado
- Utah
- Minnesota
- Nevada
Which states were the least energy-efficient in the country?
- South Carolina
- Alabama
- West Virginia
- Arkansas
- Mississippi
- Wyoming
- Tennessee
- Kentucky
- Georgia
- Louisiana