“Use” vs. “usage”

Question

When should one use usage instead of use? Examples?

Answer 1

I tend to agree with Peter Shor:

The word prevarication is not in common use.

But:

The word prevarication is not common usage.

(A sentence that presumably refers to some previous use of prevarication in a non-standard way.) Note how dropping the preposition changes the context of the phrase.

A question that can be asked is whether usage has any really useful use, other than for pedants.

Answer 2

Usage is how something is used; the fact of something being used is use; the degree to which something is used is utilization.

The word prevarication is not in common usage.
The use of safety belts in mandatory.
The utilization of safety belts has reached 70%.

Answer 3

Usage is also more commonly used than use to specify a quantity; for example, electricity usage.

Answer 4

• Usage: rules of language

• Use: meaningful communicative behavior