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A Time to Choose







energy used to manufacture the goods or perform the services which are ultimately consumed by householders. Some discussion of this indirect energy consumption, based on Energy Policy Project staff research, is given later in the chapter.

Footnotes

Footnote :

a The first survey, done in May 1973, was a national sample of 1,455 households. Families in the survey answered questions about their dwellings, heating systems, energy-using appliances, and vehicles. Data about these energy related items were correlated with responses to questions about socio-economic status, living and transportation habits. The Response Analysis Corporation of Princeton, New Jersey, selected the sample, conducted the interviews, and collated the data for analysis by WCMS.

The second survey, conducted in summer 1973, was directed at electric and gas utility companies serving the sample households. With the permission of the surveyed families, WCMS asked the utilities how much electricity and natural gas the households used and how much they had paid for it during the preceding twelve months.

Footnote :

b The conversion rate used was 10,910 Btu's of primary energy for each kilowatt hour of electricity (kwhe).

What is "typical"?

The American dream may be a vision of several luxury cars and a split-level house loaded with labor saving appliances, but the reality is a bit more modest. The "typical" American family bears little resemblance to television's famous "American Family," the Louds of Santa Barbara, with their sprawling air conditioned contemporary house, four cars, swimming pool, and jet traveling children. Most American families live much more modestly.

The "typical" American family lives in a five-room, single family house. The house structure—some 1,200 square feet in size—usually contains some insulation, but chances are just about even that it has neither storm windows nor a basement. Only 15 percent have central air conditioning, although almost half have at least one air conditioning unit.

Inside, most American homes contain at least six essential energy-using items: central heat, electric lights, hot water heater, stove, refrigerator, and washing machine. A television is present in almost every home, but it uses relatively little energy. Only half include clothes dryers, and one-quarter have dishwashers.

The automobile is also a feature of most households (about 80 percent), and 44 percent have two or more. The typical American family drives about 14,000 miles each year, and in 1972–73 got about 14 miles per gallon of gasoline in local driving. Almost nine out of ten Americans use automobiles (theirs or others') to get to and from their jobs, and almost three-quarters drive to work alone. The majority of heads of families (60 percent) take at least one car trip of 100 miles or more each year; one-quarter take at least one plane trip of 500 miles or more during the year.

The average American household, according to the survey, consumes a total of 341 million Btu's of primary energy each year. That is the equivalent of 848 gallons of gasoline plus over 8,000 kilowatt hours (kwh) of electricity and 142,000 cubic feet of natural gas per household. The average American family spends 6 percent of its income paying gas, electricity, and gasoline bills.