We made it through the heat of summer and air conditioning bills but some of that electricity for the A/C may now show up on your electric bill. Soon we’ll be heading into the heating season. In the U.S., energy costs eat between five and 22 percent of families’ total after-tax income, with the poorest Americans, or 25 million households, paying the highest of that range.
And lower energy prices don’t necessarily equate to savings. Where we live and how much energy we use make up a larger part of the math. Electricity might be cheap in Southern Louisiana, for instance, but its scorching summer weather could still result in higher costs for its residents than the temperate climate in more energy-expensive Northern California, where heating and cooling units stay idle most of the year.
To better understand the impact of energy, WalletHub’s analysts compared the total monthly energy bills in each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Their rankings account for the following residential energy types: electricity, natural gas, motor fuel and home heating oil.
Energy Consumption & Cost in Illinois
(1=Most Expensive; 25=Avg.):
• Avg. Monthly Energy Bill: $280
• 25th – Price of Electricity
• 35th – Electricity Consumption per Consumer
• 39th – Price of Natural Gas
• 1st – Natural-Gas Consumption per Consumer
• 8th – Price of Motor Fuel
• 39th – Motor-Fuel Consumption per Driver 
Source: Richie Bernardo wallethub.com/edu/energy-costs-by-state/4833/
