Energy Consumption in Nebraska's Residential Sector

The residential sector consists of private households.  Energy is consumed primarily for space heating, water heating, air conditioning, refrigeration, cooking, clothes drying, and lighting.  Fuel used for motor vehicles by household members is included in the transportation sector.

For the residential, commercial, and industrial sectors, a net total or net energy consumption (less electrical system energy losses) is provided to indicate the energy actually consumed by these sectors.  In addition, energy consumed in the generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity (electrical system energy losses) is allocated to each sector based on the electricity consumed by the sector.  Thus, total energy consumption represents the energy consumed by the sector as well as that used to provide electricity to the sector.

Between 2009 and 2010, residential sector net energy use increased 1.6 percent to 85.9 trillion British thermal units (Btu), which was 11.6 percent below the peak of 97.2 trillion Btu recorded in 1972.  Total energy consumption attributed to the residential sector in 2010 was 165.4 trillion Btu, an increase of 3.0 percent from 2009.  Natural gas use decreased 0.8 percent from 2009, renewable energy use decreased 0.3 percent.  Electricity use increased 5.0 percent and petroleum use increased 0.5 percent, while coal consumption remained at a level low enough to round to zero.

In 2010, nearly half (46.9 percent) of the residential sector's energy needs were met by natural gas.  Forty and two–tenths percent (40.2%) of the energy consumed in the residential sector was electricity, 10.0 percent were petroleum products, and 3.0 percent was renewable energy.  According to the 2010 American Community Survey, 65 percent of Nebraska's households use natural gas for home heating, 23 percent use electricity, 8 percent use propane, 1.5 percent use wood, 0.77 percent use heating oil, 0.01 percent use coal, and 0.02 percent use solar energy.

The solar data below includes small amounts of solar thermal and photovoltaic energy consumed by the commercial sector that cannot be separately identified.

Sources:State Energy Data Report.  Energy Information Administration, Washington, DC.  Nebraska Energy Office, Lincoln, NE.

Notes:  Totals may not equal the sum of the components due to independent rounding.

¹ The solar data includes small amounts of solar thermal and photovoltaic energy consumed by the commercial sector that cannot be separately identified.

The table and graphs were updated on January 22, 2013.  Typically, there are one to two years between updates.