After only one week on the throne, Iowa (above) returned the title of "Low-Cost Propane King" to Nebraska this week. (image: я ем звезд via flickr.com)
For months and months and months, the state of Nebraska has been the low-cost king for retail propane, always undercutting its cheapest Midwestern neighbors. “In previous years, Nebraska had the lowest average residential propane price each week in the Midwest Region,” boasts the state’s energy office.
So it was shocking — shocking! — to read that Iowa had snuck by the Cornhusker State in last week’s federal pricing report, to settle in a half-penny below the Nebraskans gallon price. Call it regicide on the Great Plains.
But Iowa’s reign could not last. Nor did it.
One week later, Cornhusker propane is back on top. Matching the late-season declines around the country, the average retail price for a gallon of the gas fell 2 cents (or 1-percent), whereas Iowa’s residential prices only gave up a half-penny. Nebraska now holds a slender one-penny advantage … but for how long? It’s your move, Iowa.
(Note: The pricing reports only cover the states that participate in surveying. Neither Kansas nor Texas, which are both home to national propane hubs, report their retail prices.)