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 2018 and 2019, residential sector net energy use increased less than one percent (0.89%) to 91.2 trillion British thermal units (Btu), which was 6.2 percent below the peak of 97.2 trillion Btu recorded in 1972. Total energy consumption attributed to the residential sector in 2019 was 169.2 trillion Btu, an increase of less than one percent (0.82%) from 2018. Petroleum use increased 19.1 percent from 2018 and renewable energy use increased 8.9 percent. Natural gas use decreased less than one percent (0.85%) and electricity use decreased one percent. Coal consumption remained at a level low enough to round to zero.
In 2019, 48.9 percent of the residential sector's energy needs were met by natural gas. Thirty–eight and six–tenths percent (38.6%) of the energy consumed in the residential sector was electricity, 8.7 percent were petroleum products, and 4.0 percent was renewable energy. According to the 2019 American Community Survey, 59 percent of Nebraska's households used natural gas for home heating, 31 percent used electricity, 7 percent used propane, 0.4 percent used heating oil, and 0.01 percent used coal.
