Cost to heat a home in Nebraska
Cheapest to run in Nebraska is
a heat pump
A heat pump costs about $1291 a year less than a gas furnace here. That is a consequence of Nebraska's prices, not of the equipment — the same comparison goes the other way in states with cheaper gas.
A heating season compared
| Gas furnace80% AFUE | $2835 |
| Heat pumpcheapestHSPF2 8.5 | $1544 |
| Electric resistanceBaseboard or furnace | $3847 |
At 13.78¢ a kilowatt hour and $2.38 a therm, for a 1,800 square foot home over 6,300 heating degree days.
About the cold
Nebraska sees about 140 freezing nights a year. That is enough that a heat pump needs to be a cold-climate model, and backup heat will run on the worst nights — which is already reflected in the figures above.
Common questions
Is a heat pump cheaper than gas heating in Nebraska?
Yes. At Nebraska's prices a heat pump costs about $1544 a season against $2835 for a gas furnace — roughly $1291 less a year for the same heat.
What does it cost to heat a house in Nebraska for a winter?
Between about $1544 and $3847 for a 1,800 square foot home, depending entirely on the system. Nebraska runs around 6,300 heating degree days a year.
Why is electric resistance heat so much more expensive?
It converts electricity to heat one for one, while a heat pump moves heat rather than making it and delivers two to three times as much per unit of electricity. In Nebraska that difference is about $2303 a season.
Work it out for your home
These assume a 1,800 square foot home and typical equipment. The calculator takes your ZIP code, your floor area and your actual furnace efficiency, and includes what switching would cost to install.
Prices from the US Energy Information Administration, residential sector, 2026-07. Heating load estimated from Nebraska's heating degree days. An estimate, not a bill — insulation, air sealing, ductwork and thermostat habits all move it, and no calculator can see those.
More for Nebraska
Everything in Nebraska
All five figures at once
Energy rates in Nebraska
What power and gas cost
Average electric bill in Nebraska
What households pay
Cost to run AC in Nebraska
Per hour and per year
Heat pump cost in Nebraska
To install, and vs a furnace
Furnace replacement cost in Nebraska
What a new one costs
Solar payback in Nebraska
Whether panels pay off