Gas Water Heater Vs Electric Water Heater Efficiency

According to energy gov an electric heat pump water heater might have lower energy costs because of its higher efficiency than a gas fired conventional storage water heater even though local natural gas costs might be lower than the electricity rates.

Gas water heater vs electric water heater efficiency - Gas heaters lose some of the heat they produce through venting making them less efficient. On the other hand. Electric tank heaters operate more efficiently than gas heaters. In the end the operating cost of an electric or gas water heater may be the most critical measure of efficiency for your wallet.

Water heaters can cost over 1 000 but it s best to choose an energy efficient water heater to avoid sky high energy bills. But because gas is cheap and due in part to the design of a gas water heater and the laws of thermodynamics it s much more affordable to heat your water with gas than electricity. You ll find both gas and electric models. An average home using an electric water heater spends about 500 a year heating its water.

Department of energy to help consumers compare the efficiency of similar appliances. The most popular gas water heaters cost between 250 and 1 500. Electric water heaters have an ef of about 0 75 0 95 while gas units typically have 0 60 0 80 but some models have higher values. Electric water heaters will be cheaper to purchase compared to a gas water heater however electric models will be more expensive to run.

Electric water heaters typically have a lower upfront cost than gas water heaters. In many cases using an electric water heater will result in higher utility costs as compared to using a gas water heater. Electric water heaters particularly electric heat pump water heaters can have higher ef ratings than gas water heaters. A gas heater must vent the spent gas which also takes some of the heat with it.

A gas or electric water heater s energy factor ef is a measurement that. Unlike electric heaters gas water heaters can be dangerous to operate in small spaces that allow gas to build up. A general rule of thumb is that gas water heaters tend to be slightly more expensive than their equivalent electrical version. Standard gas water heaters have an ef of about 50 to 60.

The bigger the ef number the more efficient the appliance. This is due to the way that the heaters operate. Gas water heaters aren t as efficient. However you will have to take the cost of the electricity used to operate the heater into consideration.