Water Heating Fuel Since 2009: Is America Switching From Gas to Electric?
The short answer
The share of US homes heating water with electricity rose from 41.2 percent in 2009 to 46.2 percent in 2015 and was 46.2 percent in 2020, while natural gas fell from 51.3 to 48.0 percent, according to EIA Residential Energy Consumption Survey microdata. The shift happened between 2009 and 2015 and then stalled. The Northeast moved most, from 24.3 to 32.8 percent electric.
The short answer, expanded
Electrification policy has made the water heater a target: heat pump water heaters, gas appliance restrictions in some cities and federal efficiency rules all push toward electric. Three editions of EIA’s Residential Energy Consumption Survey, 2009, 2015 and 2020, show what had actually happened in American homes before most of those policies took effect.
| Main water heating fuel | 2009 | 2015 | 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electricity | 41.2% | 46.2% | 46.2% |
| Natural gas | 51.3% | 47.6% | 48.0% |
| Propane | 3.7% | 3.6% | 3.3% |
| Fuel oil or kerosene | 3.2% | 2.4% | 2.1% |
| Homes (millions) | 113.62 | 118.21 | 123.53 |
Source: calculated by The Plumbing Brief from EIA RECS public microdata for 2009, 2015 (v4) and 2020 (v7) with each year’s final weight. 2015 and 2020 figures match EIA’s published HC8.1 tables (for example 54.6 million electric and 56.3 million gas homes in 2015).
| Region | Electric 2009 | Electric 2015 | Electric 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northeast | 24.3% | 32.4% | 32.8% |
| Midwest | 29.3% | 35.7% | 35.7% |
| South | 64.7% | 67.7% | 66.8% |
| West | 27.7% | 31.3% | 32.2% |
The evidence
- Electric share of main water heating: 41.2 percent (2009), 46.2 percent (2015), 46.2 percent (2020). Source: EIA RECS microdata.
- Natural gas share: 51.3, 47.6, 48.0 percent. Source: EIA RECS microdata.
- Fuel oil and kerosene: 3.2 to 2.1 percent. Source: EIA RECS microdata.
- Tankless main water heaters: 3.0 million (2015), 8.03 million (2020). Source: EIA HC8.1 2015 and 2020.
- Main water heater 10 or more years old: 37.1, 34.2, 36.0 percent. 20 or more: 9.7, 7.2, 7.3. Source: EIA RECS microdata.
- Northeast electric share: 24.3 to 32.8 percent; South: 64.7 to 66.8. Source: EIA RECS microdata.
What the numbers imply
The gas-to-electric shift stalled after 2015
Formula. Change in electric and gas shares between editions.
Calculation. 2009 to 2015: electric +5.0 points, gas -3.7. 2015 to 2020: electric +0.0, gas +0.4.
Finding. All of the measured move toward electric happened between 2009 and 2015. Between 2015 and 2020 the split was essentially unchanged, so the recent electrification push starts from a stable, near-even split.
Limitations. RECS changed its collection method in 2015 and again in 2020 (adding web and mail responses). EIA cautions that small changes between editions can reflect method as well as reality.
Tankless nearly tripled in five years
Formula. Tankless main water heaters, 2015 against 2020 (EIA published).
Calculation. 3.0 million to 8.03 million.
Finding. Tankless is the fastest-changing part of the water heater stock, driven by new construction. See our water heaters by state report for the 2020 detail.
Limitations. 2009 is excluded from this comparison because the 2009 survey asked about water heater type differently.
Figures worth quoting
- Electric water heating: 41.2 percent of homes in 2009, 46.2 percent in 2020.
- The share barely moved between 2015 and 2020.
- The Northeast went from 24.3 to 32.8 percent electric.
- Tankless water heaters: 3.0 million (2015) to 8.0 million (2020).
Download the data
National and regional shares from three survey editions. Published under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. Attribution: The Plumbing Brief.
Water heating fuel shares and heater age, 2009, 2015 and 2020 (EIA RECS) (CSV) Heater age trends tie into broader electrification questions, including radiant floor heating costs for contractors pricing hydronic versus electric installs.
How this report was built
Methodology
Sources. EIA Residential Energy Consumption Survey public microdata: 2009, 2015 (v4) and 2020 (v7); EIA table HC8.1 for 2015 and 2020; codebooks for each year. Retrieved 4 October 2026.
Estimation. Weighted shares with each year’s final weight (NWEIGHT). FUELH2O codes are consistent across years (5 electricity, 1 natural gas, 2 propane, 3 and 4 fuel oil and kerosene). Water heater age categories are identical across years.
Not compared. Tank size, because 2015 classified central apartment water heaters separately (16.3 million homes), and 2009 tankless counts, because the 2009 type question differs.
Retrieval date. 4 October 2026.
Data limitations
- Three editions is a short series. RECS 2020 is the latest; the next edition will show whether the post-2020 electrification policies moved the split.
- Survey method changes between editions can create small apparent shifts.
- Heat pump water heaters are not separated from electric-resistance units in the public files.
- Margins of error are not shown for 2009, whose public file lacks replicate weights.
Source quality ranking
Tier 1. US Energy Information Administration, Residential Energy Consumption Survey 2009, 2015, 2020.
Tier 2. None used. Tier 3. None used.
Briefing note
Electricity’s share of US home water heating rose from 41.2 percent in 2009 to 46.2 percent in 2015 and was unchanged at 46.2 percent in 2020, while natural gas slipped from 51.3 to 48.0 percent, according to an analysis of Energy Information Administration survey microdata by The Plumbing Brief. The largest regional change was in the Northeast, where the electric share rose from 24.3 to 32.8 percent. Tankless water heaters rose from 3.0 million in 2015 to 8.0 million in 2020.
How reporters could frame this
- America’s water heaters are split down the middle, and stayed that way
- The Northeast quietly electrified its water heaters
- Electric water heating stalled at 46 percent
- Tankless nearly tripled between 2015 and 2020
Related questions
Are more homes switching to electric water heaters? The electric share rose from 41.2 to 46.2 percent between 2009 and 2015, then held steady at 46.2 percent in 2020 (EIA RECS).
Is gas or electric water heating more common? Gas, narrowly: 48.0 percent against 46.2 percent in 2020.
Which region uses the most electric water heaters? The South, at 66.8 percent in 2020.
How fast are tankless water heaters growing? From 3.0 million homes in 2015 to 8.03 million in 2020.
How to cite this report
The Plumbing Brief, “Water Heating Fuel Since 2009: Is America Switching From Gas to Electric?”, https://theplumbingbrief.com/water-heating-fuel-since-2009/, accessed [date].
Last reviewed: 2026-10-04.
