Average Residential
Propane Prices in Nebraska

Analysis | Heating Season | Off Season
State Heating Oil and Propane Program | Midwest Region | Price Explanation
Graph | Prices | Price Archive | Wholesale Prices
Annual Report | Annual Report Archive
Midseason Report

Analysis

On January 16, 2012, the average residential propane price had fallen 4 cents from last week to $1.74 per gallon (see the table at the end of this report).  Note that last week's price was revised.  The graph below this text shows the spread in prices from month to month and from this year compared to previous years.  This week's average price was 3 cent (or 2 percent) lower than the price a year ago.

Other states in the Midwest Region had higher prices ranging from $1.88 to $2.87 per gallon with the region averaging $2.21.  States adjacent to Nebraska, such as South Dakota, Iowa, and Missouri, had prices of $1.96, $1.88, and $2.09, respectively.

Since the last report, Nebraska's average wholesale price had fallen 5 cents to $1.05 while the average retail price had fallen 4 cents to $1.74 per gallon.  As a result, the rack-to-retail margin has increased to 69 cents per gallon.  Of the surveyed states in the region this week, Nebraska had the lowest average retail price but not the lowest average wholesale price.

On the supply side, the Midwest Region inventory level was above the normal range for this time of year with 22.8 million barrels in storage on January 13.

Notes:  The annual report for the 2010-2011 winter season is available.  An archive houses annual reports from previous years.

Heating Season

The Nebraska Energy Office has participated in the State Heating Oil and Propane Program for eleven winter seasons.  During the heating season (October to March), the staff contact companies each week who supply propane to Nebraska, collect Monday's retail price, and submit the data to the Energy Information Administration.  The Energy Information Administration calculates the average price shown in the table below.

In previous years, Nebraska had the lowest average residential propane price each week in the Midwest Region.  The Energy Information Administration theorized that this was due to minimal transportation costs since Nebraska's wholesale prices were not the lowest in the region each week.  Another reason would have been the number of participating states.  Since state participation in the program is voluntary, propane prices have not been surveyed in each state in the Midwest Region.  Kansas and Oklahoma might also have had low prices--possibly lower than Nebraska's because the two states are closer to production, refinery, and storage areas.

Off Season

During the off season (April through September), time permitting, the Nebraska Energy Office staff continue to contact the same suppliers who were contacted during the heating season.  Staff contact suppliers once a month instead of once a week since the price of propane is usually not as volatile during the off season.  The Nebraska Energy Office staff calculate the average price, shown in the table below, from the suppliers' retail prices on the first Monday of the month.

State Heating Oil and Propane Program

The Energy Information Administration, the independent statistical and analytical agency within the U.S. Department of Energy, conducts the State Heating Oil and Propane Program from October to March--the heating season--each year.  The Energy Information Administration collects prices for the program each week from participating states and calculates a state average price, a regional average price, and a national average price which can be seen in the report Residential Propane Prices by Region and State.

Midwest Region 

For statistical purposes, the Energy Information Administration defines the Midwest Region to include the states of Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, and Wisconsin.

Price Explanation 

The prices represent average home heating charge prices for delivery of consumer grade propane, excluding taxes and cash discounts.

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Nebraska's Average Residential Propane Prices
2001/2002 - 2011/2012
  Heating Season Off Season
Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep
2001/2002
First Monday $0.815 $0.771 $0.768 $0.769 $0.773 $0.736 $0.736 $0.733 $0.720 $0.708 $0.693 $0.714
Second Monday $0.797 $0.772 $0.777 $0.770 $0.735 $0.739            
Third Monday $0.798 $0.779 $0.773 $0.770 $0.735 $0.734            
Fourth Monday $0.786 $0.770 $0.773 $0.773 $0.734              
Fifth Monday $0.774   $0.769                  
  Heating Season Off Season
Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep
2002/2003
First Monday $0.721 $0.743 $0.744 $0.806 $0.901 $1.181 $0.886 $0.849 $0.845 $0.882 $0.899 $0.934
Second Monday

$0.734

 $0.743 $0.747 $0.806 $0.973 $0.975            
Third Monday $0.736 $0.743 $0.784 $0.843 $0.943 $0.966            
Fourth Monday $0.739 $0.743 $0.793 $0.855 $0.948              
Fifth Monday     $0.799                  
  Heating Season Off Season
Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep
2003/2004
First Monday $0.925 $0.964 $0.945 $0.959 $0.990 $0.984 $0.981 $0.971 $0.982 $0.974 $1.038 $1.143
Second Monday

$0.960

 $0.955 $0.942 $1.027 $1.011 $0.983            
Third Monday $0.966 $0.952 $0.957 $1.008 $0.993 $0.984            
Fourth Monday $0.968 $0.952 $0.956 $1.006 $0.992              
Fifth Monday     $0.959                  
  Heating Season Off Season
Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep
2004/2005
First Monday $1.158 $1.290 $1.265 $1.237 $1.220 $1.194 $1.220 $1.209 $1.202 $1.225 $1.232 $1.415
Second Monday

$1.195

 $1.297 $1.248 $1.236 $1.196 $1.218            
Third Monday $1.227 $1.290 $1.251 $1.228 $1.190              
Fourth Monday $1.312 $1.278 $1.251 $1.228 $1.194              
Fifth Monday   $1.288   $1.224                
  Heating Season Off Season
Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep
2005/2006
First Monday $1.475 $1.490 $1.440 $1.524 $1.437 $1.414 $1.361 $1.403 $1.417 $1.446 $1.514 $1.490
Second Monday $1.469 $1.468 $1.455 $1.498 $1.438 $1.417            
Third Monday $1.474 $1.460 $1.508 $1.461 $1.422              
Fourth Monday $1.479 $1.458 $1.527 $1.460 $1.421              
Fifth Monday $1.493     $1.443                
  Heating Season Off Season
Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep
2006/2007
First Monday $1.418 $1.399 $1.454 $1.461 $1.452 $1.500 $1.556 $1.474 $1.486 $1.494 $1.548 $1.605
Second Monday $1.418 $1.397 $1.453 $1.454 $1.477 $1.501            
Third Monday $1.406 $1.403 $1.461 $1.452 $1.489              
Fourth Monday $1.401 $1.424 $1.468 $1.448 $1.496              
Fifth Monday $1.398     $1.442                
  Heating Season Off Season
Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep
2007/2008
First Monday   $1.841 $1.883 $1.953 $1.884 $2.051 $1.934 $1.990 $2.095 $2.175 $2.152 $2.082
Second Monday $1.657 $1.874 $1.873 $1.951 $1.862 $2.007            
Third Monday $1.679 $1.881 $1.881 $1.903 $1.862 $1.999            
Fourth Monday $1.742 $1.888 $1.887 $1.899 $1.948              
Fifth Monday $1.779   $1.907                  
  Heating Season Off Season
Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep
2008/2009
First Monday $2.028 $1.692 $1.584 $1.558 $1.554 $1.494 $1.353 $1.322 $1.347 $1.314 $1.247 $1.270
Second Monday $1.893 $1.662 $1.543 $1.559 $1.559 $1.476            
Third Monday $1.758 $1.614 $1.550 $1.563 $1.537 $1.458            
Fourth Monday $1.728 $1.595 $1.569 $1.570 $1.501              
Fifth Monday     $1.552                  
  Heating Season Off Season
Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep
2009/2010
First Monday $1.289 $1.459 $1.559 $1.738 $1.795 $1.790 $1.599 $1.584 $1.519 $1.430 NA NA
Second Monday $1.341 $1.485 $1.588 $1.825 $1.844 $1.746            
Third Monday $1.376 $1.502 $1.621 $1.768 $1.852 $1.710            
Fourth Monday $1.449 $1.505 $1.703 $1.780 $1.806              
Fifth Monday   $1.516                    
  Heating Season Off Season
Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep
2010/2011
First Monday $1.579 $1.621 $1.666 $1.733 $1.774 $1.878 $1.811 NA NA NA NA NA
Second Monday $1.625 $1.641 $1.683 $1.757 $1.776 $1.856            
Third Monday $1.626 $1.656 $1.704 $1.774 $1.773              
Fourth Monday $1.617 $1.652 $1.720 $1.779 $1.872              
Fifth Monday   $1.666   $1.780                
  Heating Season Off Season
Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep
2011/2012
First Monday $1.877 $1.870 $1.846 $1.796 NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA
Second Monday $1.879 $1.855 $1.839 $1.780 NA NA            
Third Monday $1.877 $1.855 $1.813 $1.740 NA              
Fourth Monday $1.876 $1.857 $1.803 NA NA              
Fifth Monday $1.877     NA                

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Sources:  State Heating Oil and Propane Survey and the Weekly Petroleum Status Report.  Energy Information Administration, Washington, DC.  Nebraska Energy Office, Lincoln, NE.

Note:  NA = Not Available

This report was updated on January 23, 2012.
Typically, there is one week between updates during the heating season and
one month between updates during the cooling season.

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