NEBRASKA ENERGY BURDEN STUDY
The purpose of this study, developed in 2009 (Nebraska Energy Burden Study, Center for Public Affairs Research, University of Nebraska at Omaha, 2009), is to measure impact of household energy costs as a percentage of income. The report is based on information from the US Census Bureau and examines the geographic and demographic aspects of household energy usage in the state. Energy information is reported by income groups, household characteristics, and housing characteristics. The first report was presented at the 2009 Nebraska Home Energy Affordability Symposium sponsored by NEAN and is updated annually.
Definition
Energy burden is defined as the share of annual household income that is used to pay annual energy bills. By this definition, energy burden can be thought of as “the percent of income spent on energy.” Therefore, the formula for energy burden