As temperatures rise during summer months across the U.S., so does energy consumption and, especially, energy bills. A hot summer day in many U.S. states can be downright brutal, and most are forced to resort to fans and air conditioners to keep cool from day into the night. According to data from the National Climatic Data Center, 87 percent of all American homes -- almost 100 million -- are equipped with AC appliances, costing homeowners more than $11 billion annually.
But what about the other nine months out of the year? Surprisingly, summer is not the most draining season on our nation's energy supply. Although renewable energy consumption peaks in summer months, the power derived from fossil fuels -- the most harmful to our environment -- are most abundantly consumed during the winter. In fact, 47.3 percent of annual residential fossil fuel consumption occurs during December, January, and February alone, and natural gas heats less than 50 percent of our nation's homes.
With all of this in mind, Save On Energy has put together a visual that puts this data into perspective, as well as covers the U.S. states that consume the most energy across seasons. Fun fact: Wyoming ranks as the highest energy-consuming state in America.
Here's the complete look: