Charging an EV consumes less energy than several common household appliances, according to data compiled by the DOE.

For the typical US household, home heating is by far the biggest consumer of energy (11,300 kWh per year) followed by water heating (4,700 kWh per year). Based on average driving habits, charging a Nissan LEAF requires about 2,800 kWh of energy per year, just over twice as much as a refrigerator.

While charging an EV does add to household electricity usage, it costs considerably less than buying gasoline for a comparable legacy vehicle. According to the DOE, driving a 2013 Nissan LEAF costs about 3.8 cents per mile, compared to 6.7 cents per mile for a Nissan Versa (assuming 13 cents per kWh and $2.35 per gallon of gasoline).

Source: DOE via Green Car Congress