EIA’s Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO) projects that the average residential customer will consume 4% more electricity over December through March compared with the same period last winter. However, this forecast is highly dependent on winter temperatures. If temperatures are warmer than expected, as they have been the past two months, average electricity use could be slightly below that of the previous winter.
Seasonal electricity consumption patterns in homes vary regionally, and some regions reach their peak electric load in the winter when the weather is extremely cold.
