Electricity Use Statistics by Sector
Published September 15, 2026 · StatsGalore
Residential share of retail electricity sales [1]
Residential customers accounted for 37.3% of U.S. retail electricity sales in 2025, according to EIA. Commercial customers accounted for 36.8%. These are shares of retail sales, a measure that should be distinguished from total electricity use including direct use. [1]
The numbers
| Sector | Retail sales, trillion kWh | Share of retail sales | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Residential | 1.51 | 37.3% | [1] |
| Commercial | 1.49 | 36.8% | [1] |
| Industrial | 1.04 | 25.7% | [1] |
| Transportation | 0.01 | 0.2% | [1] |
Retail sales and total use differ
Retail electricity sales measure electricity sold to end-use customers. EIA’s broader use accounting also includes direct use. The sector percentages shown here belong to the retail-sales denominator.
Combining a retail-sales share with a broader total would create a mismatched calculation. Use the matching total from the same series when converting a share into an amount.
[1]Energy and power are different units
A kilowatt-hour measures energy used over time. It is different from a kilowatt, which measures power at a moment. A large annual energy total does not directly state the generating capacity needed at the busiest moment.
The table reports trillions of kilowatt-hours. Keeping the scale in the column label avoids accidentally comparing it with figures expressed in billions or ordinary kilowatt-hours.
[1]The sector labels describe customer categories
Residential sales describe the household customer category, while commercial and industrial sales cover different kinds of economic activity. These are broad classifications rather than a list of individual appliances or purposes.
The transportation category should not be read as all electricity associated with travel in every accounting context. Customer classification affects where electricity purchases appear.
[1]Rounding and comparisons
The amount and share columns are rounded independently. A small category can therefore look imprecise when rounded to hundredths of a trillion. Use underlying detailed data when greater precision is needed.
These figures describe 2025 electricity sales. They do not by themselves show electricity prices, household bills, emissions, or the fuel mix used to generate the electricity. Those are separate statistical questions.
[1]Sources & notes
EIA, Use of Electricity, 2025 sector figures. Denominator is retail electricity sales; direct use is outside that denominator. Quantities and percentages are rounded.
Source review: 2026-09-15. Article publication and underlying data dates are separate. How we use statistics · Suggest a correction