Oct 31 -- The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), Department of Energy (DOE). invites public comment on the reinstatement with changes to the Residential Energy Consumption Survey (RECS) Forms EIA 457–A, D, E, F, and G. RECS collects data on energy characteristics, consumption, and expenditures for the residential sector of the United States and is comprised of five forms including: Form EIA 457–A Household Survey, Form EIA 457–D Energy Supplier Survey: Household Propane Usage, Form EIA 457–E Energy Supplier Survey: Household Electricity Usage, Form EIA 457–F, Energy Supplier Survey: Household Natural Gas Usage, Form EIA 457–G Energy Supplier Survey: Household Fuel Oil or Kerosene Usage. These forms will be used to produce household energy usage estimates for calendar year 2024. EIA must receive all comments on this proposed information collection no later than January 2, 2024.
The RECS is a nationwide study of energy use in housing units and includes a series of data collections from households and household energy suppliers. RECS results include official statistics about the energy characteristics, consumption, and expenditures of U.S. homes. In addition to statistics produced directly from surveys of households and energy suppliers, EIA leverages the RECS survey information to model and produce energy end-use estimates (e.g., natural gas water heating consumption). EIA has conducted the RECS periodically since 1978 and the 2024 RECS will be the 16th data collection for the program.
Form EIA 457–A: Household Survey collects information on the presence and characteristics of a wide range of energy-consuming devices in homes, including space heating and cooling equipment, appliances, and electronics. The Household Survey also asks respondents about key structural features and demographic characteristics that impact energy usage. Forms EIA 457–D, E, F, and G:
Energy Supplier Surveys collect monthly electricity and natural gas billing data from Household Survey-respondent energy suppliers (e.g., utilities), and periodic propane and fuel oil delivery data from bulk fuel suppliers.
RECS is integral to EIA's mandate to collect and publish energy end-use consumption data. RECS estimates represent the most comprehensive national and state-level results available on energy consumption in homes. RECS is a key, benchmark data series that allows policy makers and program implementers in both public and private organizations to analyze trends in energy consumption for the residential sector. RECS fulfills planning, analyses, and decision-making needs of DOE, other Federal agencies, state governments, utilities, researchers, and energy analysts in the private sector.
In addition to annual RECS estimates produced for all prior studies, EIA intends to release sub-annual (e.g., monthly) energy consumption and expenditures estimates from the 2024 RECS. These estimates would be derived from monthly energy bills collected on the Energy Supplier Survey forms and modeled energy end-use outputs.
For the 2024 RECS, EIA intends to field a series of local-area samples in select metropolitan and county areas around the country. These additional samples in approximately 8–10 local areas will support EIA's efforts to expand its demand-side energy data program to produce energy-use results for more granular geographic and demographic communities.
EIA proposes to update the Household Survey to reduce respondent burden, improve response quality, and update questions to reflect current energy trends. EIA is proposing the following questionnaire updates based on data quality analysis of the prior RECS, changes in the residential housing market, and stakeholder feedback. Proposed new questions reflect EIA's effort to collect the most relevant information necessary to estimate household energy use and to inform energy end-use estimation. Proposed question revisions should improve response quality, minimize reporting burden, and reflect changes in technology. EIA proposes deleting questions with poor response quality from the last collection or where data are now available from alternative sources.
EIA RECS:
https://www.eia.gov/consumption/residential/
Current survey forms:
http://www.eia.gov/survey/#eia-457
Draft data collection instruments and technical documentation requested from EIA by AEAStat. EIA replies: "The proposed survey form specifications are posted in the EIA Survey Forms page. Planning and testing is still on-going, so these are not considered final questionnaire content. The ICR documents are still being drafted and are not currently available. A lot of the content that goes into those documents (e.g., sampling detail) are still being finalized, as well. Based on our timeline, we anticipate sending those to OMB for official review and approval in spring 2024."
FRN:
https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2023-23999