Electric Consumer

Editor: Katerine G., Editor & Data Researcher · Research & publishing: Electric Consumer Editorial Team · Data retrieved · Sources named on this page: EIA-861, EIA retail sales, EIA-860/923, Census ACS, NOAA · How we got these numbers · Report an error

Cost to heat a home in Nebraska: electricity vs gas

With electricity at 12.34 cents per kWh and natural gas at $11.40 per Mcf in 2025, one MMBtu of heat costs $11.58 from a gas furnace, $12.05 from a heat pump and $36.16 from resistance heating in Nebraska.

Your Nebraska heating cost

    Nebraska inputs: 12.34 ¢ per kWh, $11.4 per Mcf, fuel only; the need is an illustration. Method.

    The numbers

    Electricity 2025
    12.34 ¢/kWhrank 43 of 45 states by price
    Natural gas 2025
    $11.40 per Mcfrank 33 of 45 states by gas price
    Gas furnace
    $11.58 per MMBtu95% efficiency, rank 33 of 45
    Heat pump
    $12.05 per MMBturank 3 of 45 states, COP 3.0 assumed
    Electric resistance
    $36.16 per MMBtu3.1 times a furnace
    Break-even COP
    3.12a heat pump above it beats gas; rank 19 of 45
    Annual cost at 50 MMBtu
    $603 heat pumpfuel only
    Homes heated by electricity
    31%59% utility gas, 7% propane, 0% oil
    Electricity since 2024
    +7.0%
    Gas since 2024
    +7.2%
    2026 to date
    power +7.2%, gas +10.0%January to Jul against 2025
    Winter load
    +61% over spring and fallsummer +52%: a winter-peaking state
    Heating degree-days, normal year
    6,6191991 to 2020; 2025 had 5,793, rank 15 of 42 states by normal HDD
    Occupied homes in Nebraska (ACS 2023)
    786,885245,560 electric, 467,274 utility gas, 55,562 propane, 2,747 oil; 2 of 93 counties are over half electric
    Generating capacity in Nebraska
    12,144 MWEIA-860 2025; 8 MW under construction

    Nebraska charts

    One MMBtu of heat in Nebraska

    $11.58 gas, $12.05 heat pump, $36.16 resistance.

    $ per MMBtu

    • Electric resistance36.2
    • Heat pump, COP 3.012.1
    • Gas furnace, 95%11.6

    Nebraska, Cost of one MMBtu of heat in Nebraska: EIA retail sales and natural gas prices.

    CSV

    Prices since 2015, Nebraska

    Electricity $36.16 and gas $11 per MMBtu of energy in 2025.

    Fuel cost per MMBtu, Nebraska, 2015 to 2025: 11 rows
    YearNebraska electricityNebraska gas
    201531.18.6
    201631.87.7
    201732.18.7
    201831.48.2
    201931.67.6
    202031.77.8
    202131.59.3
    202231.612.4
    202332.812.6
    202433.810.3
    202536.211.0

    11 rows from EIA retail sales and natural gas prices.

    CSV

    How Nebraska heats

    31% electric.

    % of homes

    • Electricity31.2
    • Utility gas59.4
    • Propane7.1
    • Fuel oil0.3
    • Wood0.9

    Nebraska, How Nebraska homes are heated: Census ACS 2023, table B25040.

    CSV

    Break-even COP by month, Nebraska

    1.53 to 3.81 across the months shown.

    Break-even COP by month, Nebraska: 12 rows
    Month20252026
    Jan3.313.28
    Feb3.423.14
    Mar3.693.13
    Apr3.413.81
    May2.532.52
    Jun2.031.90
    Jul1.681.61
    Aug1.53No data
    Sep1.56No data
    Oct1.67No data
    Nov2.66No data
    Dec3.26No data

    12 rows from EIA retail sales.

    CSV

    How Nebraska homes heat

    Nebraska main fuelNebraska homesNebraska shareNebraska rank among states
    Electricity245,56031.2%24 of 45
    Utility gas467,27459.4%14 of 45
    Propane55,5627.1%16 of 45
    Fuel oil2,7470.3%26 of 45
    Wood7,0360.9%33 of 45

    Nebraska has 12,144 MW of operable generating capacity (EIA-860, 2025), largest in coal at 3,970 MW; 8 MW is under construction and 2,089 MW planned, which matters if heat pumps add winter load.

    14 Nebraska utilities report meters to EIA-861: 31.1% of 915,461 home meters are smart (AMI), 3 offer a home time-of-use rate and 1,812 homes are on dynamic pricing.

    Nebraska counties by electric heating

    Largest electric share first, then the smallest; 17 counties.

    Nebraska countyNebraska residentsNebraska electric heatNebraska utility gasNebraska propaneNebraska median income
    Platte County34,35862%30%6%$72,335
    Dawson County24,02049%40%8%$65,383
    Buffalo County50,32342%52%4%$74,570
    Dakota County21,33141%50%7%$71,655
    Gage County21,64641%46%10%$64,426
    Saunders County22,76139%31%22%$89,395
    Madison County35,53537%53%7%$64,637
    Dodge County37,14636%55%7%$71,294
    Lancaster County323,67335%60%3%$72,625
    Scotts Bluff County35,93733%59%6%$60,960
    Adams County31,03433%60%5%$65,680
    Cass County26,96333%44%19%$88,255
    Washington County20,98930%46%18%$90,188
    Hall County62,43129%66%3%$67,549
    Lincoln County34,12227%60%10%$64,342
    Sarpy County194,05125%73%2%$101,402
    Douglas County585,46125%73%2%$79,081

    Nebraska month by month

    MonthNebraska electricity ¢/kWhNebraska gas $/McfHeat pump $/MMBtuGas furnace $/MMBtuNebraska break-even COP
    Jul 202613.78$24.69$13.5$25.11.61
    Jun 202613.25$20.10$12.9$20.41.90
    May 202613.59$15.53$13.3$15.82.52
    Apr 202613.28$10.06$13.0$10.23.81
    Mar 202613.10$12.06$12.8$12.33.13
    Feb 202611.79$10.83$11.5$11.03.14
    Jan 202611.76$10.33$11.5$10.53.28
    Dec 202511.57$10.25$11.3$10.43.26
    Nov 202512.52$13.58$12.2$13.82.66
    Oct 202513.13$22.72$12.8$23.11.67
    Sep 202513.85$25.58$13.5$26.01.56
    Aug 202513.16$24.78$12.9$25.21.53
    Jul 202512.84$22.06$12.5$22.41.68
    Jun 202513.14$18.64$12.8$18.92.03
    May 202513.15$14.99$12.8$15.22.53
    Apr 202513.06$11.06$12.8$11.23.41
    Mar 202511.71$9.16$11.4$9.33.69
    Feb 202510.85$9.14$10.6$9.33.42
    Jan 202510.53$9.17$10.3$9.33.31

    Heating season

    A normal year in Nebraska brings 6,619 heating degree-days and 982 cooling degree-days (1991 to 2020). Months above 300 heating degree-days in a normal year: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, Oct, Nov, Dec. 2025 had 5,793, 12% below normal; the highest of 2015 to 2025 was 6,863 in 2019.

    Nebraska degree-days by year

    Heating and cooling degree-days, Nebraska, 2015 to 2025: 11 rows
    Nebraska yearHeating (HDD)Cooling (CDD)Normal HDDNormal CDD
    201557809656619982
    2016555711126619982
    2017580710026619982
    2018681611166619982
    2019686310286619982
    2020604910936619982
    2021582511736619982
    2022640311856619982
    2023579811406619982
    2024545011296619982
    2025579311056619982

    NOAA nClimDiv degree-days for Nebraska, 2015 to 2025, pulled 2 Oct 2026.

    CSV

    Heating degree-days by month

    Heating degree-days by month, Nebraska: 12 rows
    Month2025Normal
    Jan13071337
    Feb11881084
    Mar623879
    Apr411467
    May191206
    Jun1842
    Jul710
    Aug1517
    Sep67113
    Oct249402
    Nov689836
    Dec10281226

    NOAA nClimDiv degree-days for Nebraska by month, 2025.

    CSV
    Nebraska, 2025 by month: 12 rows
    MonthHDD 2025HDD normalCDD 2025CDD normal
    Jan1,3071,33700
    Feb1,1881,08400
    Mar623879111
    Apr41146753
    May1912065962
    Jun1842257197
    Jul710350341
    Aug1517265277
    Sep6711313594
    Oct249402237
    Nov68983600
    Dec1,0281,22600

    NOAA nClimDiv degree-days for Nebraska, 2025 by month.

    CSV

    Analyst note

    Price change stands out in Nebraska: electricity +7.0% since 2024, rank 12 of 45. Main heating fuel in Nebraska is utility gas (59% of homes); electricity heats 31% and utility gas 59%. Since 2024 electricity moved +7.0% and gas +7.2%; in 2026 to date power is +7.2% and gas +10.0% on a year earlier. A COP 3.0 heat pump trails a furnace here by $0.47 per MMBtu; the break-even COP of 3.12 ranks 19 of 45. The most electric counties of Nebraska with 20,000+ residents are led by Platte County at 62% of homes. A normal Nebraska year has 6,619 heating degree-days, and 2025 had 5,793, so heating demand ran 12% below the 1991 to 2020 normal.

    States with a similar break-even

    State near NebraskaBreak-even COP near NebraskaGas, $ per MMBtuHeat pump, $ per MMBtu
    Delaware3.09$16.23$16.73
    Tennessee3.21$12.03$12.88
    West Virginia3.22$14.02$15.05
    Wyoming3.29$11.93$13.07
    Nevada2.89$13.35$12.85
    Kansas2.84$15.05$14.22

    Questions on heating in Nebraska

    How fast did Nebraska electricity prices move since 2024?

    +7.0% from 11.53 to 12.34 cents per kWh, rank 12 of 45 states by change.

    Is a heat pump cheaper than gas in Nebraska?

    No on fuel cost: $12.05 per MMBtu against $11.58 for gas, break-even COP 3.12.

    Which Nebraska county has the most electric heating?

    Platte County: 62% of 13,398 homes among counties with 20,000+ residents, median income $72,335.

    What share of Nebraska homes heat with electricity?

    31% of 786,885 occupied homes in ACS 2023, against 59% with utility gas.

    Where does Nebraska rank on heat pump cost?

    3 of 45 at $12.05 per MMBtu; North Dakota is lowest at $11.54.

    Is Nebraska a winter or summer electricity state?

    Winter use runs +61% over spring and fall, summer +52%: heating drives the load.

    Did gas or electricity get more expensive in Nebraska in 2026?

    January to Jul: electricity +7.2%, gas +10.0% on a year earlier.

    How much generating capacity does Nebraska have?

    12,144 MW operable in 2025, 8 MW under construction, 2,089 MW planned (EIA-860).

    How many Nebraska homes have smart meters?

    31.1% of 915,461 home meters, 3 of 14 reporting utilities offer time-of-use.

    More on Nebraska

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    With electricity at 12.34 cents per kWh and natural gas at $11.40 per Mcf in 2025, one MMBtu of heat costs $11.58 from a gas furnace, $12.05 from a heat pump and $36.16…