06:07 AM EDT, 06/14/2024 (MT Newswires) -- U.S. residential customers' monthly electricity bills are expected to average $173 this summer, slightly higher than the previous summer's average of $168, the U.S. Energy Information Administration reported Thursday.

Households in most U.S. regions consume more electricity in the summer compared with the rest of the year as nearly 90% of households use air conditioning for cooling, the EIA said.

The EIA expects weather this summer to be slightly warmer than last year and an assumed 5% increase in cooling degree days will lead the average U.S. household to use about 3% more electricity during the summer months compared with the same period last year.

Because of energy efficiency gains in air-conditioning equipment, the EIA's forecast of average U.S. summer electricity use by households in 2024 is 6% less than was used in 2010, even as summer temperatures are expected to be similar.

If temperatures end up much higher than expected, households are likely to face higher electricity bills, especially in the southern states, the agency noted.