Cost Difference Between Natural Gas And Electric Water Heater

Storage tank heaters can be powered with natural gas electricity propane or fuel oil.

Cost difference between natural gas and electric water heater. A tankless electric water heater has an average cost between 800 and 1 500 plus an additional 800 to 1 200 for installation. Amazon lists the most popular gas water heaters priced from 250 to 1500 and the most popular electric water heaters from 300 to 2880. Department of energy recommends looking for a storage water heater with a thermal resistance r value of r 12 to r 25. Apart from the initial installation cost the maintenance cost is fairly low for both electric and gas water heaters.

Electric water heater operating costs bluejay says that gas is almost always cheaper than electric assuming that you already have natural gas piped into your home. On the flip side it usually costs less to operate a gas water heater because in many areas of the country the cost of natural gas is lower than the cost of electricity. Bob vila says that while electric water heaters may cost more to run than gas powered water heaters they re less expensive to purchase because they do not require the complicated gas hookup installation fees and open flame heating mechanism of a gas water heater. A gas water heater costs at least twice as much as an electric heater.

An electric water heater with a storage tank has an average cost between 300 and 700 plus an additional 300 to 500 for installation. For a model with electronic ignition to remove the need for a pilot light you ll need to pay closer to 1 200. To install a gas water heater it will cost between 1 000 and 3 000 whereas an electric water heater will cost 620 to 1 020 if you hire a professional to do it. For a high quality unit you can expect to spend a minimum of 1 000.

This is often the unseen cost of a water heater since very few people calculate it as part of the purchase price. The electric water heater uses household electricity whereas the gas water heater uses natural gas that is pumped into the household. In general however statistics show that a gas water heat will cost around 30 month for the average home while an electric heater will cost you closer to 42. Gas water heaters typically cost about 30 a month to run while electric water heaters run closer to 42 a month depending on utility rates.

A layer of insulation between the inner tank and outer shell helps keep the water at your desired temperature.