>On insulation, I'm assuming you mean in areas where AC isn't heavily used insulation doesn't help electricity bills if heat is provided by gas/oil?
Correct. Heavy use of electric heat is fairly uncommon as it's relatively expensive. (In the Northeast, it would be considered a serious negative if a house had only electric heat.) Of course, insulation helps with overall energy usage if there's either a lot of heating, a lot of cooling, or both--however it's provided. I'm also sure the US tends to have larger houses, more large electric appliances, and other home features that increase electricity use.
Correct. Heavy use of electric heat is fairly uncommon as it's relatively expensive. (In the Northeast, it would be considered a serious negative if a house had only electric heat.) Of course, insulation helps with overall energy usage if there's either a lot of heating, a lot of cooling, or both--however it's provided. I'm also sure the US tends to have larger houses, more large electric appliances, and other home features that increase electricity use.