Nebraska Electricity Rates
Rate data for Nebraska is being refreshed. The regulator and market facts below are current; figures return with the next data load.
Can you choose your electricity supplier in Nebraska?
No. Nebraska has not opened its residential electricity market to competition, so the utility that delivers your power also sells it. Its prices are set in rate cases before the Nebraska Power Review Board, and the rate you pay depends on which utility serves your address, your rate schedule, and the season.
Grid operator: Southwest Power Pool (SPP). Wholesale power costs flow through to retail bills on the regulator's schedule rather than month to month, which is why regulated-state rates move more slowly than the market-based states listed below.
Want to shop for a supplier? Retail choice is open on this site in Massachusetts, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Washington DC.
Nebraska is the only state where every electric utility is consumer-owned public power with no supplier choice, and the state Power Review Board has no authority over rates, so a mover's deposit, connection fee and price are set by the elected board of whichever district, city or co-op serves the address, and those rates run well below the national average (9.07 cents/kWh all-sector in 2024, ranked 49th in EIA's state profiles).
Who will deliver your power in Nebraska
The utility is fixed by your address. These are the largest in the state, with what each says it needs from a new customer.
Omaha Public Power District (OPPD)public power district
Omaha and all or part of 13 counties in southeastern Nebraska, a 5,000-square-mile territory serving a population of about 906,000; OPPD calls itself the 12th-largest public power utility in the U.S. by customer count. About 419,833 average electric retail customers (OPPD Quick Facts, data as of Dec. 31, 2025).
OPPD's Start/Stop/Move Service portal (myoppd.com) is the entry point; OPPD publishes no lead time there; phone customer service is 402-536-4131 (Omaha) or 877-536-4131, Monday-Friday 7 a.m.-6 p.m. Its board-adopted Service Regulations say an applicant must give a Social Security number or federal tax ID (or a birthdate plus government-issued ID if those are unavailable), OPPD may require proof of occupancy and payment of any prior OPPD debt, OPPD 'may require' a cash deposit or other account security at its discretion, and every new account is billed a one-time activation fee of $22.50 (non-landlords) or $15.00 (landlords) on the next bill. Standard Residential Rate 110 effective 01/01/2026 is a $30.00 monthly service charge plus 11.937 cents/kWh June 1-Sept. 30 and 9.503 cents/kWh Oct. 1-May 31, plus a 0.521 cents/kWh Fuel and Purchased Power Adjustment; late payments carry a 4% charge.
Start service with Omaha Public Power District →Sources: myoppd.com, oppd.com, oppd.com, oppd.com, oppd.com, oppd.com, oppd.com, oppd.com, oppd.com
Lincoln Electric System (LES)municipal
About 200 square miles of Lancaster County including Lincoln, Prairie Home, Waverly, Walton, Cheney and Emerald; LES says it is the second-largest retail electric utility in Nebraska. About 155,114 average retail customers, 136,862 of them residential (LES Key Facts, as of closed books Dec. 31, 2025).
Start service any time through the LES online account system (people new to the territory use the pre-login 'Services' area) or call 402.475.4211, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday; new accounts pay a one-time $10 account service fee on the first bill. LES's Service Regulations (effective July 1, 2026) assess a residential security deposit only if the customer was previously disconnected for non-payment, has an LES debt sent to collections or written off, or knowingly gave inaccurate information when establishing service. Residential Service effective for service after Dec. 31, 2025 is a $5.15 customer charge plus a facilities charge of $30.50 (under 800 kWh average monthly use), $45.00 (800-1,500 kWh) or $69.00 (over 1,500 kWh), with energy at 7.82 cents/kWh June 1-Sept. 30 and 5.60 cents/kWh Oct. 1-May 31. The nine-member Administrative Board is appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by the Lincoln City Council, and the City Council approves rates, budget and debt financing.
Start service with Lincoln Electric System →Sources: les.com, les.com, les.com, les.com, les.com, les.com, les.com, les.com, les.com, les.com
Nebraska Public Power District (NPPD)public power district
NPPD says it serves 35 municipalities, 23 public power districts and/or cooperatives and 81 communities with retail or wholesale power across all or parts of 84 of Nebraska's 93 counties, from its Columbus headquarters; NPPD's community solar page names Ainsworth, Kearney, Norfolk, Ogallala, Scottsbluff, Venango and York among its retail communities. About more than 95,000 customers, serving an estimated 530,000 Nebraskans at retail or wholesale (NPPD About Us).
Start service at an existing location through the online Start/Stop Service form or by calling 1-877-ASK-NPPD (275-6773); no NPPD-stated lead time or ID list appears on the page. NPPD's Customer Service Fees page sets a $15 non-refundable connect charge for every new account, move or transfer and a $225 residential deposit unless you are a current customer with 12 months of satisfactory payment history, provide a written credit reference from a U.S. utility showing satisfactory payment history, or are the new owner of the residence with satisfactory credit; late payments are $15 or 3%, whichever is greater, and reconnection after non-payment is $40. Residential Service (RS) effective January 1, 2026 is a $26.75 monthly customer charge plus 10.04 cents/kWh June 1-Sept. 30 and 7.90 cents/kWh Oct. 1-May 31, subject to a Production Cost Adjustment and, in some towns, lease-payment or gross-revenue-tax adjustments.
Start service with Nebraska Public Power District →Sources: nppd.com, nppd.com, nppd.com, nppd.com, cdn.prod.website-files.com, nppd.com, nppd.com, nppd.com
Rural public power districts and electric cooperatives (Nebraska Rural Electric Association members)public power district
Most rural areas and many small towns in Nebraska are served by 35 locally owned rural public power districts and electric cooperatives (for example Dawson, Norris, Southern, Cuming County and Custer public power districts), which together serve over 283,000 meters across more than 97,000 miles of line. About 283,845 meters across all 35 NREA member systems combined (NREA home page).
There is no single start-service process; each district or co-op has its own elected board, rates and deposit rules, so find yours on NREA's member-systems list or the Power Review Board's service-area map and contact it directly. NREA says each system is governed by locally elected board members and has no profit-driven shareholders.
Start service with Rural public power districts and electric cooperatives →Sources: nrea.org, nrea.org, nrea.org, powerreview.nebraska.gov
Deposits, ID, and supplier choice in Nebraska
Deposits. There is no statewide deposit rule: the Nebraska Power Review Board, the state agency that regulates the electric utility industry, says it 'does not have the authority to investigate or hold hearings on any matters relating to rates' or to late-payment and reconnection charges. Each utility's board sets its own terms, so deposits range from NPPD's flat $225 residential deposit (waived with a utility credit reference or 12 months of history) to LES, which charges residential deposits only after a prior disconnection, collections write-off or false application information, to OPPD, which 'may require' a deposit at its discretion. (powerreview.nebraska.gov)
Choosing a supplier. No residential supplier choice exists. Nebraska is the only state where retail electric service is provided entirely by consumer-owned public power districts, cooperatives and municipalities; the Power Review Board maintains about 390 certified service-area agreements that fix each supplier's retail territory, and state policy (Neb. Rev. Stat. 70-1001) is to avoid competition and duplication of facilities between suppliers, so your address determines your utility (https://powerreview.nebraska.gov/about-nprb).
By statute (Neb. Rev. Stat. 70-655) a public power district's elected board of directors 'shall have the power and be required to fix, establish, and collect adequate rates' that are fair, reasonable and nondiscriminatory, and under 70-1017 any retail supplier must furnish service on application to anyone in its service area where economically feasible. Rate or billing disputes go to your utility's elected board, city council or co-op board, not to a state regulator; the Power Review Board hears only refusal-to-serve and rate-class discrimination complaints.
Sources: powerreview.nebraska.gov, powerreview.nebraska.gov, powerreview.nebraska.gov, nebraskalegislature.gov, nebraskalegislature.gov, nebraskalegislature.gov, nppd.com, les.com, oppd.com
Help paying an electric bill in Nebraska
LIHEAP (Nebraska Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program)
Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)
Households at or below 150% of the federal poverty level that meet citizenship/residency rules and are responsible for home energy bills; gross income limits for Oct. 1, 2026-Sept. 30, 2027 run from $23,940 (1 person) to $49,500 (4 people) and $83,580 (8 people), plus $8,520 per additional member. Heating assistance runs Oct. 1-March 31, cooling June 1-Aug. 31, and crisis assistance (which can cover deposits and reconnect fees after an unanticipated inability to pay within the last 90 days) is year-round; apply at iServe Nebraska, a DHHS office, or by phone at (800) 383-4278 (Lincoln (402) 323-3900, Omaha (402) 595-1258).
Sources: dhhs.ne.gov, oppd.com
Nebraska Weatherization Assistance Program
Nebraska Department of Water, Energy, and Environment (DWEE), delivered through eight nonprofit local providers
Homeowners and renters (with landlord permission) with household income below 200% of the federal poverty level ($31,300 for one person, $42,300 for two in 2025), with automatic eligibility for households receiving ADC or SSI and preference for people over 60, people with disabilities and families with children under six. All services are free, average about $7,500 per home, and applicants may be wait-listed because funding varies yearly; contact (402) 471-2186 or toll-free (877) 253-2603.
Source: dwee.nebraska.gov
OPPD Energy Assistance Program (EAP)
Omaha Public Power District, distributed through a network of over 30 community-based agencies (Dollar Energy Fund agency finder)
OPPD customers with gross household income at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines who face an acute financial crisis from a verifiable emergency (illness, death, lay-off, loss of income), up to a maximum of $500 per year; apply through a partner agency found via the Dollar Energy Fund agency finder, by calling 888-650-9132, or through 2-1-1, with photo ID, proof of the emergency, 30 days of income verification and an OPPD bill.
OPPD Customer Assistance Program (CAP) pilot
Omaha Public Power District via Dollar Energy Fund
OPPD customers with no past-due balance and gross household income at or below 100% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines receive a monthly bill credit (amount not stated) if they commit to on-time payment, recertify annually and report household changes within 10 business days; enrollment is capped at 3,000 customers and applications go through Dollar Energy Fund online, at a partner agency (888-650-9132) or by phone at 888-282-6816.
Source: oppd.com
LES financial assistance referrals (Lincoln)
Lincoln Electric System (payment extensions and installment plans) with referrals to Community Action Partnership of Lancaster and Saunders Counties and United Way 2-1-1
Any LES customer at risk of falling behind can check eligibility for a payment extension or installment plan in the online account or by calling 402.475.4211; customers who have received an electric disconnect notice can apply to Community Action Partnership of Lancaster and Saunders Counties at 402.471.4515 ext. 1471 with their bill, income and household information, and 2-1-1 (1.866.813.1731) connects anyone with payment-assistance resources.
Source: les.com
Programs that change what you pay
- Rooftop solar (net metering)available
- State law (Neb. Rev. Stat. 70-2002) requires every local distribution utility to credit customer-generators with qualified facilities of 25 kW or less at the retail rate for each kWh produced up to their usage, with no extra standby, capacity, demand or interconnection fees, and to pay net excess generation at the utility's avoided cost, carried forward month to month and paid out at the end of each annual period; a utility may stop adding net-metered customers once their total capacity reaches 1% of its forecast average aggregate monthly peak demand (70-2003). Utility riders go further in places: OPPD's Rider 483 accepts systems up to 100 kW AC and credits net excess at 4.00 cents/kWh in summer and 3.52 cents/kWh otherwise, LES nets systems up to 25 kW AC and credits excess at a renewable rate based on the residential retail energy rate (649 qualified facilities in 2025), and NPPD asks customers to contact it at least sixty days before installing (378 qualified facilities in 2025); NPPD's Residential TOU rate cannot be combined with net metering.
Sources: nebraskalegislature.gov, nebraskalegislature.gov, nebraskalegislature.gov, oppd.com, les.com, nppd.com, nppd.com, cdn.prod.website-files.com
- Community solaravailable
- All three large utilities run utility-owned community solar: OPPD's Rider Schedule No. 500 sells Community Solar Shares of 100 kWh per month priced at a market-based value of solar updated annually; LES SunShares is a donation-style subscription at $1 per share per month with a three-share minimum, and LES's Virtual Net Metering program sells half panels for $225 or full panels for $450 (or 36 monthly payments) through 2036; NPPD's SunWise community solar is open to retail customers in Ainsworth, Kearney, Norfolk, Ogallala, Scottsbluff, Venango and York with a $50 refundable enrollment fee, a one-month minimum, and shares that follow you if you move within the same community but end if you leave it.
- Time-of-use rateslimited
- NPPD offers an optional Residential Time-Of-Use rate (RS-TOU, effective Jan. 1, 2026) for AMI-metered homes: $26.75 customer charge, summer 22.50 cents/kWh on-peak (2-7 p.m. weekdays), 8.00 cents off-peak and 4.68 cents super off-peak (10 p.m.-7 a.m.), winter 19.00/6.60/4.68 cents with on-peak 7-9 a.m. and 4-7 p.m. weekdays; enroll by choosing 'Enroll in TOU' in the online account. OPPD's residential rates are seasonal flat rates with no TOU option listed, and LES has no residential TOU rate but pays a one-time $25 gift card per eligible connected thermostat plus a $25 total annual bill credit through LES Peak Rewards.
Sources: cdn.prod.website-files.com, nppd.com, oppd.com, les.com, les.com
Questions people ask before moving to Nebraska
Can I pick my electricity supplier when I move to Nebraska?
No. Nebraska is the only state served entirely by consumer-owned public power districts, cooperatives and municipal utilities, and the Power Review Board certifies about 390 service-area agreements that fix which utility serves each address, so you simply sign up with the one utility for your new home (OPPD in the Omaha area, LES in Lincoln, NPPD or a local public power district or co-op elsewhere).
Sources: powerreview.nebraska.gov, powerreview.nebraska.gov, nrea.org
Will I have to pay a deposit to start electric service in Nebraska?
It depends entirely on your utility, because the Power Review Board says it has no authority over rates, late charges or reconnection fees and points ratepayers to their utility's own board: NPPD charges a $225 residential deposit unless you have 12 months of satisfactory NPPD history, a written credit reference from a U.S. utility or satisfactory credit as the home's new owner; LES charges a residential deposit only if you were previously disconnected for non-payment, sent to collections or gave false information; and OPPD says it 'may require' a cash deposit or other account security at its discretion.
Sources: nppd.com, les.com, oppd.com, powerreview.nebraska.gov
What does it cost to open an electric account in Nebraska?
Expect a small one-time connection fee on your first bill rather than a big charge: OPPD bills a $22.50 activation fee ($15.00 for landlords), NPPD a non-refundable $15 connect charge for any new account, move or transfer, and LES a $10 account service fee. Rural districts and co-ops set their own fees, so ask yours directly.
How much is electricity in Nebraska compared with the rest of the country?
Nebraska's average retail electricity price across all sectors was 9.07 cents/kWh in 2024, ranked 49th in EIA's state electricity profiles (U.S. average 12.94 cents), and in July 2026 Nebraska residential customers paid an average of 13.78 cents/kWh versus 18.31 cents nationally. The utilities' own figures point the same way: OPPD's average residential cost was 13.29 cents/kWh on 10,877 kWh a year, and LES's 2025 average residential rate was 11.15 cents/kWh against a 17.30-cent national average.
Who do I complain to about my Nebraska electric bill or rates?
Your utility's own elected leadership: the Power Review Board states it has no authority over rates, disconnection procedures, late charges or reconnection fees and directs ratepayers to the public power district board, city council or village board, or cooperative board that runs their supplier (OPPD has an eight-member elected board, NPPD an 11-member elected board, and LES a nine-member Administrative Board with rates approved by the Lincoln City Council). The Board itself only hears formal complaints when a supplier refuses to serve an applicant in its territory or treats a customer unfairly compared with others in the same rate class.
Sources: powerreview.nebraska.gov, oppd.com, nppd.com, les.com
Researched 2026-10-16 from utility, regulator, and agency pages; every statement links to where it was read. Rules change: confirm deposits and program dates with the utility or agency before you rely on them.
Every state ranked by residential rate, updated weekly: Electricity Rates by State →