Data and Code for: Energy Hogs and Energy Angels: What Does Residential Electricity Use Really Tell Us about Profligate Consumption?

Energy Hogs and Energy Angels: What Does Residential Electricity Usage Really Tell Us About Profligate Consumption? Manuscript ID: PandP-2025-1111 Abstract: High residential volumetric electricity prices are partially justified as placing more of the cost burden on less prudent households, so-called "energy hogs". I show the difference in means between above-median and below-median household consumption declines by 60%-90% after adjusting for three factors: number of household occupants, local climate variation, and adoption of rooftop solar. Failure to make these adjustments disproportionately hurts low-income households. Focusing on residential electricity is especially problematic, because nationally it accounts for less than 15% of energy and less than 10% of GHG emissions, while such penalty pricing is virtually nonexistent elsewhere in the economy.