Home Energy Laboratory Data

Electricity and natural gas usage data are shown below for more than 35 years for my residence in a western suburb of Minneapolis, MN.

Recent events

8/2009 Ended XCEL Wind-source contract, to save $47 per year.
8/19/08-8/24/09 Changed XCEL account to 'Wind-source'. We paid a wind surcharge, but no fuel surcharge. For this 1 year period, we paid extra to be a wind source customer. Perhaps this is really an executive bonus program.
8/20/08 Replaced kitchen incandescents with motion detecting fluorescents. Between the LEDs and the fluorescents, there are few incandescents left.

A few observations:

Natural gas usage is far easier to manage and reduce. Add insulation, buy more efficient appliances, etc.
Electricity usage is more difficult to manage because of all the new gadgets all of us keep buying, like microwave ovens, computers, and TVs. LED lamps help.

Per BTU, electricity costs nearly 3 times as much as natural gas here in Minneapolis.

Electricity usage, actual and average by month.
Natural gas usage, actual and average by month.

Electricity annual usage chart 1976-2009
Electricity usage chart, average by month, for 35 years. Purple line is average for just the last 6 years.
Natural gas annual usage chart, 1976 - 2009
Natural gas usage, average by month, for 35 years. Purple line is average for just the last 6 years.