Comparisons

Most people do not have to deal with electricity figures in their daily life. Consequently, it may prove challenging for many to accurately contextualise the electricity consumption associated with Ethereum. The aim of this section is to offer a more tangible and comprehensible understanding of Ethereum's electricity usage by comparing it with other prevalent electricity-consuming activities, ensuring that the information is accessible to a diverse audience.

However, visitors should note that all comparisons face three major limits:

Note: All comparisons below are based on our best-guess estimate. The listed comparisons serve illustrative purposes only and do not constitute an endorsement or any other form of value judgement. We endeavour to update this page continually with relevant and applicable comparisons as part of an ongoing iterative process.

We always welcome feedback, comments, and suggestions for new comparisons or reliable data sources – please contact us here. 

What else could be powered by Ethereum's annual electricity usage?

Given that it is likely that not everyone is familiar with energy terminology and can judge the orders of magnitude, it can be challenging to fully grasp the extent of Ethereum’s electrical power consumption. To provide a clearer perspective, various types of comparisons are offered, including comparisons to the electricity usage of the University of Cambridge, as well as more commonplace examples from daily life.

The accompanying data illustrates the duration for which Ethereum's annual electricity consumption would be sufficient to meet the electricity needs of the University of Cambridge. Additionally, the data offers comparisons such as the number of air conditioners that could be powered, the equivalence to the annual electricity consumption of English households, and the distance one could travel in a Tesla Cybertruck.

Ethereum's annual electricity usage ...

Sources:
University of Cambridge, Facts & Figures | Sustainability (2021), Figure from 2017/18.  
Khorram, M., Faria, P., Abrishambaf, O., & Vale, Z. (2020). Air conditioner consumption optimization in an office building. considering user comfort. Energy Reports, 6, 120–126. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.egyr.2019.08.029
UK Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (2020). Figure from 2021. Assumption: air conditioners are in operation all week, day and night.
EV-Database.uk, official figures as published by the manufacturer. Estimated combined (motorway and city) energy consumption.

Putting Ethereum's electricity consumption into perspective

Suitable comparisons for Ethereum's power consumption in terms of qualitatively similar activities are very limited. Therefore, alternative uses with little or no similarities to Ethereum are considered. Hence, it is important to note that comparing Ethereum's electricity usage to that of other uses is not an exact comparison. Thus, it is critical to approach such comparisons from a quantitative perspective and acknowledge their limitations. Unlike Bitcoin, it was decided to compare Ethereum's electricity consumption directly to businesses or buildings, as opposed to industrial and residential buildings, due to the vastly different consumption levels.

Exploring the universe

The following presents a comparison of the power demand of various blockchain networks, arranged in descending order. When comparing their power demand, it is essential to approach such comparisons with a nuanced perspective and consider all relevant factors, as electricity consumption represents only one aspect when evaluating different blockchain networks.

In the context of electricity consumption, a crucial factor is the mechanism employed to achieve distributed consensus. For instance, consensus mechanisms based on proof-of-work (PoW) are likely to consume significantly more electricity than those based on proof-of-stake (PoS). Additionally, larger, more decentralised networks tend to consume more electricity than smaller, more centralised ones.