This is CTA’s sixth deep dive since 2006, offering the industry’s clearest view yet into how American’s evolving device habits shape residential energy use. The study looks across traditional consumer electronics including computers and monitors, TVs, video game consoles, set-top boxes, networking equipment and other common consumer electronic devices we plug in without a second thought. 

As consumers settle into new hybrid routines, the study offers the first detailed look at ownership and usage trends following the pandemic — and some shifts are surprising. Despite Americans owning more devices than ever, overall annual energy consumption from consumer electronics fell by about 13% compared to 2020, driven largely by significant improvements in product energy efficiency. Today’s devices are smarter, leaner and designed to deliver higher performance with less power.

The report also highlights that certain pandemic-era behaviors aren’t going anywhere. Notably, active video game console use increased by 10% since 2020, even as other categories declined. Meanwhile, set-top boxes saw a 36% decrease in installed units, reflecting consumers’ continued shift toward streaming services.

Because a device’s energy consumption depends heavily on usage patterns — especially differences between active and idle power draw — the findings vary significantly across categories.

Looking at individual device categories in the report, computers and monitors show substantial gains in design efficiency, and TVs are also expected to become even more efficient in the coming years. Networking equipment, however, is the exception: annual energy consumption increased, driven by a 60% rise in the number of devices plugged in — another sign of the increasingly connected home.

So, what’s the big takeaway? More consumers are bringing more devices into their homes, but energy efficiency innovation is preventing a spike in electricity use. That’s a hallmark of a fast-moving tech ecosystem — one where rapid consumer adoption goes hand-in-hand with smarter, more efficient design.

This is exactly why CTA regularly revisits energy usage data: to understand the landscape, anticipate trends and help support energy-efficiency and sustainability initiatives industry-wide.

The study also presents the real-world impact of CTA’s long-running partnerships on energy efficiency voluntary agreements with manufacturers across TVs, set-top boxes and networking equipment. These partnerships have already saved consumers billions in electricity costs while preventing millions of tons of CO₂ emissions, raising the bar for what energy-efficient innovation looks like in mainstream consumer products. These are sustainability wins that don’t require consumers to change behavior because efficiency is baked directly into the devices.

Even as our homes fill with more screens, sensors and smart devices, the future of consumer electronics is getting more efficient — not less. CTA’s latest study paints a picture of an industry that’s innovating responsibly and a consumer base whose habits continue to evolve in ways that shape the energy landscape.

The full Energy Consumption of Consumer Electronics in U.S. Homes in 2024 report is available for free to CTA Members and non-members.

To inquire about CTA membership or learn more about how our members are working to advance energy efficiency in the consumer technology industry, please contact Ally Peck at apeck@cta.tech.