How Much to Run a Space Heater in Nebraska? $0.18/Hr, $220/Winter
Running space heater in Nebraska costs about $0.18 an hour and roughly $220 for the winter — 1,500 W for 6.5 hours a day at 12.31¢/kWh.
· Source: EIA Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A (July 2026 data) · next EIA update ~Oct 23
On this page: CalculatorTableHow we calculatedSources
Jump to calculator ↓Slider nudges the Nebraska rate; the URL keeps it.
- Per hour
- $0.18 at 12.31¢/kWh
- Per winter
- $220 (182 days)
- Hours per day
- 6.5 (NOAA state heating degree-days-scaled)
- Degree-days used
- 4,584 (NOAA CPC state, population-weighted)
- Wattage
- 1,500 W (typical 750–1,500)
- Nebraska rate
- 12.31¢ (October 2025–March 2026 average)
- Rank of 20 cold states
- 20 (cheapest)
Why this number
Nebraska runs space heater longer than the national baseline in October–March — 6.5 hours a day on the NOAA state degree-day scaling used here, against 5.0 nationally — and pays 12.31¢/kWh for it. Those two numbers, times 1,500 W, are the whole $220.
Space heater cost in Nebraska by hours per day — per day / per winter
| Hours per day | Nebraska avg 12.31¢ | Omaha Public Power Dis 12.4¢ | Adjustment 2024 12.0¢ | Lincoln Electric Syste 10.9¢ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 h | $0.18 / $34 | $0.19 / $34 | $0.18 / $33 | $0.16 / $30 |
| 2 h | $0.37 / $67 | $0.37 / $68 | $0.36 / $66 | $0.33 / $60 |
| 4 h | $0.74 / $134 | $0.74 / $135 | $0.72 / $131 | $0.65 / $119 |
| 6 h | $1.11 / $202 | $1.12 / $203 | $1.08 / $197 | $0.98 / $179 |
| 8 h | $1.48 / $269 | $1.49 / $271 | $1.44 / $262 | $1.31 / $238 |
| 12 h | $2.22 / $403 | $2.23 / $406 | $2.16 / $393 | $1.96 / $357 |
What Nebraska’s utilities charge for it
| Utility | Residential customers | ¢/kWh (EIA-861 2024) | Per hour | Per winter at 6.5 h/day |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Omaha Public Power District | 362,918 | 12.4¢ | $0.19 | $222 |
| Adjustment 2024 | 148,124 | 12.0¢ | $0.18 | $215 |
| Lincoln Electric System | 134,912 | 10.9¢ | $0.16 | $195 |
What the numbers say about space heater in Nebraska
Nebraska logged 4,584 population-weighted heating degree-days over October–March (NOAA CPC state series), 131% of the CONUS figure of 3,500, which is why this page runs space heater 6.5 hours a day against the national 5.0 — 1.5 hours more. At Nebraska’s October 2025–March 2026 average rate of 12.31¢/kWh that makes it the cheapest of the 20 cold states for space heater: $220 for the 182-day winter, against Nebraska’s $220 and Maine’s $752. Omaha Public Power District, Nebraska’s largest utility with 362,918 residential customers, averages 12.4¢ — $222 for the same hours — while Lincoln Electric System at 10.9¢ comes to $195, a $27 spread on identical use. Per million Btu delivered, resistance heat at 12.31¢ costs $36.08 against $13.47 for natural gas at Nebraska’s winter average of $1.28/therm, so a 1,500 W heater is a room-by-room supplement in Nebraska, not a whole-house plan. Nebraska’s winter-average rate (12.31¢) sits 1.47¢ below its July 2026 reading of 13.78¢; the season figure uses the winter average because that is when space heater runs.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to run space heater per hour in Nebraska?
$0.18 an hour for a 1,500 W unit at Nebraska’s October 2025–March 2026 average average of 12.31¢/kWh (1,500 ÷ 1,000 × 0.1231); at Omaha Public Power District’s 12.4¢ it is $0.19.
How much does space heater cost for the whole winter in Nebraska?
About $220: 1,500 W × 6.5 hours a day × 182 days (October–March) × 12.31¢. The hours are the national 5.0 h/day scaled by NOAA CPC state population-weighted HDD, October 2025–March 2026 (4,584 against the CONUS 3,500); enter your own hours above for your own figure.
Is space heater expensive to run in Nebraska compared with other cold states?
Nebraska is the cheapest of the 20 cold states on this site at $220 a winter; the range runs from Nebraska ($220) to Maine ($752), driven almost entirely by the electricity rate.
How we calculated this
Worked for space heater in Nebraska: 1,500 W ÷ 1,000 × 0.1231 $/kWh = $0.18 per hour; hours per day = 5.0 × (4,584 ÷ 3,500) = 6.5; 1,500 ÷ 1,000 × 6.5 × 182 × 0.1231 = $220 for the winter. Rate: EIA Electric Power Monthly 5.6.A (October 2025–March 2026 average); degree-days: NOAA CPC state population-weighted HDD, October 2025–March 2026, against the CONUS total; utility prices: EIA-861 2024.Sources: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) electricity rates · DSIRE incentive records · public IRS/OBBBA guidance. Figures are modeled estimates, not quotes or tax advice. See our methodology.
Where to go next
- Cost to run space heater (national page) — The 1,500 W and 5.0 h/day baseline this page scales for Nebraska, with the sourced benchmark.
- Cost to heat a home in Nebraska — Gas, propane, oil, heat pump and resistance per MMBtu at Nebraska’s own prices — the whole-house picture.
- Find your electricity rate by ZIP — Nebraska averages 12.31¢ but its utilities span the table above — send your own rate into this calculator.
- Solar panel cost in Nebraska — Nebraska’s 13.78¢ July rate, utilities and rate history on the solar side.
- Cost to run heat pump in Nebraska — Same Nebraska rates and degree-days applied to a 3,500 W heat pump.
- Cost to run ductless mini-split in Nebraska — Same Nebraska rates and degree-days applied to a 2,000 W ductless mini-split.
- Cost to run space heater in Idaho — $228 for the winter at 12.38¢ and 6.7 h/day — the nearest cold-state comparison.
- Cost to run space heater in Utah — $233 for the winter at 13.19¢ and 6.5 h/day — the nearest cold-state comparison.