Notes: To obtain the RSE percentage for any table cell, multiply the corresponding column and row factors. ⚫ Because of rounding, data may not sum to totals. • See "Glossary" for definition of terms used in this report. Source: Energy Information Administration, Office of Energy Markets and End Use, Forms EIA-457 A-G of the 1997 Residential Energy Consumption Survey. Energy Information Administration How the Survey Was Conducted Introduction The Residential Energy Consumption Survey (RECS) was designed by the Energy Information Administration (EIA) to provide information about energy consumption within the residential sector. The RECS is conducted in two major parts: the Household Survey and the Energy Suppliers Survey. The Household Survey collects information about the housing unit via personal interviews with a representative national sample of households. The Rental-Agent Survey is an adjunct to the Household Survey and is used to verify information provided by renters in the Household Survey. In the Energy Suppliers Survey, data concerning actual energy consumption are obtained from household billing records maintained by the energy suppliers. The data are collected by questionnaires mailed to all the suppliers for the households in the Household Survey. This report is based on the results of the Household Survey, the Rental-Agent Survey, and the Energy Suppliers Survey. A subcontractor to EIA collected and processed the 1997 RECS. A copy of the data collection form for the Household Survey is reproduced in Appendix D, "Household Questionnaire." This appendix contains detailed information about the Sample Design, Household Survey, its adjunct Rental Agent Survey, the Energy Suppliers Survey, Confidentiality of the Data, and Public Use Data File Preparation. Sample Design The sample design for the 1997 RECS was based on the design for the 1993 RECS. The universe for this sample design includes all housing units occupied as the primary residence in the 50 States and the District of Columbia. The definition of household is the same as that used by the U. S. Bureau of the Census. At the time of the 1997 RECS (July 1997), the universe was estimated to contain 101,481,000 households based on Current Population Survey (CPS) estimates. This definition excludes group quarters, such as military barracks, dormitories, and nursing homes, which are considered to be out-of-scope. Households on military installations are included. It should be noted that the separation time between the estimates for 1993 and 1997 was four years, instead of the 3 years between the 1990 and 1993 estimates. Estimates of annual change need to take this difference into account. The overall plan for the 1997 RECS included a basic sample of approximately 5,000 completed household interviews, plus a supplemental sample totaling approximately 800 completed interviews. The basic sample was designed to represent the total population of households in the United States, with specified levels of precision for each of the nine geographically defined Census divisions. The supplemental sample, included in the plan to meet special analytical needs, was designed to provide disproportionately large samples of households living below the poverty level, particularly those using electricity, fuel oil, or kerosene as the main space-heating fuel. Multistage Area Probability Sample In a multistage area probability sample design, the universe is divided into successively smaller, statistically selected areas. The process starts with the selection of primary sampling units (PSUs) and ends with the selection of individual households. Energy Information Administration PSUs are either metropolitan areas containing a central city of 50,000 or larger population, or they are counties or groups of counties containing small cities and rural areas. In the sample design used for the 1997 RECS, the total land area of the 50 States and the District of Columbia was divided into 1,786 PSUs. These PSUs were based on county and independent city boundaries and on Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) as defined in June 1990. The primary mode of stratification of PSUs was by the nine Census Divisions. Strata were separately defined within Census Divisions for the four most populous States (California, Florida, New York, and Texas) and for Alaska and Hawaii because of their unique weather conditions. Stratification was also based on MSA or nonMSA status of PSUs and, to the extent feasible, on the main residential space-heating fuel and weather conditions. PSUs were grouped into 116 strata with one PSU selected from each strata. The PSUs that were used for the 1993 RECS were also used for the 1997 RECS. (See Figure A1, "Multistage Area Probability Sample Activities," for the 1997 RECS.) Secondary Sampling Units (SSUs) The SSUS used for the 1997 RECS were either the SSUs selected in the 1993 redesign effort or were selected as part of a new construction update procedure. A number of SSUS, usually 8 or more, were selected in each PSU. SSUS consisting of one or more Census blocks, were selected directly from Census statistics. Blocks were combined, as necessary, to create SSUS that contained at least 50 housing units. Some SSUS that contained very large numbers of housing units were divided into smaller listing segments and one listing segment was selected for detailed address listing. New Construction Canvass The starting point for the new construction update procedure was to expand the SSUS selected for the 1993 RECS. This procedure was used to determine if significant new construction-defined as groups of 50 or more housing units had occurred within the expanded SSUS since 1993. This was based on a canvass, primarily by telephone, of local sources of information, such as building-permit-issuing agencies, zoning boards, and tax offices. If significant new construction had not occurred, the 1993 selected SSU was used for the 1997 RECS. If significant construction had occurred, the expanded SSU was visited by field workers to obtain a rough count of the number of housing units by block, the expanded SSU was divided into segments, and a segment was selected as a SSU for the 1997 RECS. Sample Selection-Ultimate Clusters To conduct the 1997 housing unit sample selection, detailed field listings were needed for each housing unit in the selected SSUS. The detailed field listings were either carried over from the 1993 RECS or were created for SSUS in PSUs where the 1993 redesign effort was not completed and where significant new construction was found. Field workers created the detailed field listings by visiting the segments and identifying each housing unit by street address, apartment number, or other obvious features. Following the field-listing step, a penultimate cluster of approximately 50 housing units was selected from each listing segment. Addresses of these housing units were placed in a database used for actual sample selection. Specific addresses chosen from each of the listing segments comprised the ultimate clusters of the 1997 RECS sample. An ultimate cluster of housing units to be contacted for the interview (averaging 5.6 housing units for the 1997 RECS) was randomly selected by computer from the penultimate cluster; these housing units constituted the assignments given to interviewers. 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