Water Heaters by State: Fuel, Running Cost, Tankless Share and Age (EIA RECS 2020)
The short answer
Electricity heats water in 46 percent of US homes and natural gas in 48 percent, but the split runs from 88 percent electric in Florida to 83 percent gas in Utah, according to EIA’s 2020 Residential Energy Consumption Survey. The average home spent $287 a year heating water, from $175 in Colorado to $569 in Hawaii. 6.5 percent of homes have a tankless heater.
What the table shows
The Energy Information Administration’s Residential Energy Consumption Survey is the federal count of what equipment is in American homes and what it costs to run. EIA publishes state estimates for water heating fuel and for water heating spending. It does not publish state tables for tankless heaters or heater age, so those columns are estimated here from the RECS microdata with EIA’s own replicate weights and suppression rule. For how the gas and electric split has changed since 2009, see water heating fuel since 2009. The efficiency ratings of every Energy Star certified model are analysed in Energy Star water heaters.
| State | Electric | Natural gas | Propane | Fuel oil | Avg cost per home, 2020 | Share of home energy bill |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 72% | 26% | Q | n/a | $340 | 16% |
| Alaska | 28% | 52% | 3% | 14% | $486 | 16% |
| Arizona | 55% | 40% | 3% | Q | $278 | 14% |
| Arkansas | 59% | 37% | 4% | n/a | $306 | 16% |
| California | 19% | 78% | 3% | Q | $292 | 18% |
| Colorado | 22% | 73% | 3% | Q | $175 | 13% |
| Connecticut | 37% | 38% | 3% | 21% | $385 | 14% |
| Delaware | 57% | 29% | 10% | Q | $330 | 17% |
| District of Columbia | 52% | 46% | Q | Q | $229 | 19% |
| Florida | 88% | 10% | 1% | n/a | $272 | 16% |
| Georgia | 59% | 38% | 3% | n/a | $369 | 17% |
| Hawaii | 66% | 11% | 5% | n/a | $569 | 23% |
| Idaho | 47% | 50% | Q | n/a | $268 | 18% |
| Illinois | 28% | 69% | 3% | n/a | $190 | 11% |
| Indiana | 43% | 52% | 4% | Q | $291 | 14% |
| Iowa | 33% | 58% | 9% | n/a | $197 | 11% |
| Kansas | 32% | 61% | 7% | n/a | $244 | 12% |
| Kentucky | 65% | 33% | Q | n/a | $289 | 16% |
| Louisiana | 61% | 37% | Q | n/a | $275 | 16% |
| Maine | 35% | 14% | 14% | 34% | $342 | 14% |
| Maryland | 57% | 39% | Q | Q | $304 | 16% |
| Massachusetts | 30% | 52% | 2% | 15% | $337 | 14% |
| Michigan | 27% | 66% | 5% | Q | $225 | 10% |
| Minnesota | 37% | 59% | 3% | n/a | $243 | 13% |
| Mississippi | 65% | 29% | 7% | n/a | $296 | 16% |
| Missouri | 47% | 50% | Q | n/a | $250 | 13% |
| Montana | 41% | 52% | Q | Q | $247 | 16% |
| Nebraska | 33% | 65% | Q | n/a | $197 | 12% |
| Nevada | 27% | 67% | 5% | n/a | $241 | 14% |
| New Hampshire | 38% | 22% | 17% | 22% | $386 | 15% |
| New Jersey | 26% | 70% | Q | 3% | $257 | 13% |
| New Mexico | 20% | 70% | 10% | n/a | $202 | 14% |
| New York | 28% | 57% | 4% | 11% | $392 | 17% |
| North Carolina | 75% | 22% | 3% | n/a | $311 | 18% |
| North Dakota | 58% | 36% | 5% | Q | $242 | 15% |
| Ohio | 38% | 57% | 5% | Q | $236 | 13% |
| Oklahoma | 45% | 50% | 5% | n/a | $251 | 14% |
| Oregon | 65% | 33% | Q | n/a | $366 | 22% |
| Pennsylvania | 45% | 46% | 3% | 6% | $296 | 15% |
| Rhode Island | 26% | 51% | Q | 19% | $348 | 13% |
| South Carolina | 77% | 21% | Q | n/a | $333 | 17% |
| South Dakota | 48% | 46% | 6% | n/a | $245 | 14% |
| Tennessee | 74% | 24% | 2% | n/a | $297 | 17% |
| Texas | 54% | 42% | 3% | Q | $262 | 15% |
| Utah | 15% | 83% | Q | n/a | $221 | 13% |
| Vermont | 36% | 21% | 20% | 23% | $400 | 17% |
| Virginia | 63% | 33% | 4% | Q | $349 | 17% |
| Washington | 62% | 34% | 3% | n/a | $310 | 21% |
| West Virginia | 71% | 28% | Q | n/a | $333 | 17% |
| Wisconsin | 39% | 57% | 3% | Q | $216 | 12% |
| Wyoming | 33% | 62% | Q | n/a | $238 | 13% |
| United States | 46% | 48% | 3% | 2% | $287 | 15% |
Source: EIA, RECS 2020, State Water Heating highlights table and table CE3.6.ST (end-use expenditures). Q: withheld by EIA because the relative standard error exceeds 50 percent or fewer than 10 sampled households. n/a: no sampled households.
Sourced figures
- US homes heating water mainly with electricity: 57.04 million (46%); natural gas: 59.33 million (48%); propane 4.12 million; fuel oil or kerosene 2.62 million. Source: EIA RECS 2020.
- Most electric state: Florida, 88 percent. Most gas state: Utah, 83 percent. Source: EIA RECS 2020.
- States where electric water heaters outnumber gas: 25 of 51 (50 states and DC). Source: calculated from EIA RECS 2020.
- Average spending on water heating per home: $287 in 2020, 15 percent of the average $1,884 home energy bill. Source: EIA RECS 2020, CE3.6.
- Highest state: Hawaii, $569. Lowest: Colorado, $175. Source: EIA RECS 2020, CE3.6.ST.
- Homes with a tankless main water heater: 8.03 million, 6.5 percent. Source: EIA RECS 2020, table HC8.1.
- Homes whose main water heater is 10 or more years old: 44.4 million, 36.0 percent; 20 or more years old: 8.98 million. Source: EIA RECS 2020, table HC8.1.
- Homes with a large (50 gallons or more) tank: 46.85 million, 37.9 percent. Source: EIA RECS 2020, HC8.1.
- Tankless share in homes built 2016 to 2020: 18.0 percent; built 2000 to 2009: 4.9 percent. Source: calculated from RECS 2020 microdata.
- Tankless share among propane water heating homes: 23.7 percent; natural gas 6.6; electricity 4.2. Source: calculated from RECS 2020 microdata.
- Average annual water heating cost by main fuel: electricity $341, natural gas $224, propane $392, fuel oil $367. Source: calculated from RECS 2020 microdata.
- Average annual cost, one-person household $184; five or more people $434. Source: calculated from RECS 2020 microdata.
Tankless share and heater age by state
| State | Tankless share | RSE | Heater 10+ years old | RSE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 3.8% † | 30% | 33.7% | 10% |
| Alaska | 14.5% | 17% | 50.1% | 6% |
| Arizona | 6.9% | 18% | 23.8% | 8% |
| Arkansas | 4.5% † | 32% | 28.9% | 9% |
| California | 10.2% | 9% | 43.9% | 3% |
| Colorado | 6.4% | 21% | 31.9% | 10% |
| Connecticut | 12.4% | 15% | 30.7% | 8% |
| Delaware | 12.5% | 22% | 31.0% | 13% |
| District of Columbia | 4.6% † | 36% | 55.8% | 6% |
| Florida | 5.9% | 17% | 28.8% | 7% |
| Georgia | 5.0% | 20% | 32.6% | 7% |
| Hawaii | 4.2% | 28% | 36.4% | 9% |
| Idaho | 4.4% | 30% | 35.2% | 11% |
| Illinois | 3.3% | 25% | 33.6% | 7% |
| Indiana | 4.4% | 27% | 31.6% | 7% |
| Iowa | 5.5% † | 30% | 44.9% | 7% |
| Kansas | 3.6% † | 34% | 27.7% | 12% |
| Kentucky | 3.5% | 24% | 31.6% | 7% |
| Louisiana | 4.5% | 23% | 37.5% | 7% |
| Maine | 21.8% | 14% | 49.5% | 7% |
| Maryland | 7.1% | 20% | 44.3% | 6% |
| Massachusetts | 15.3% | 11% | 32.8% | 7% |
| Michigan | 4.6% | 25% | 34.8% | 8% |
| Minnesota | 7.0% | 25% | 40.2% | 8% |
| Mississippi | 5.9% † | 31% | 43.0% | 9% |
| Missouri | 5.4% | 27% | 41.2% | 7% |
| Montana | 10.0% | 24% | 38.2% | 9% |
| Nebraska | 3.1% † | 45% | 42.4% | 9% |
| Nevada | 6.5% | 26% | 34.5% | 12% |
| New Hampshire | 17.5% | 14% | 39.6% | 10% |
| New Jersey | 6.7% | 17% | 36.1% | 6% |
| New Mexico | 8.0% | 28% | 32.8% | 12% |
| New York | 7.7% | 13% | 43.1% | 4% |
| North Carolina | 6.2% | 17% | 35.8% | 7% |
| North Dakota | 4.9% | 29% | 45.7% | 7% |
| Ohio | 3.8% | 26% | 34.2% | 8% |
| Oklahoma | 4.1% † | 35% | 32.7% | 9% |
| Oregon | 3.9% | 25% | 48.2% | 6% |
| Pennsylvania | 5.7% | 15% | 30.2% | 6% |
| Rhode Island | 14.4% | 19% | 33.4% | 11% |
| South Carolina | 8.4% | 18% | 33.0% | 9% |
| South Dakota | 7.8% | 28% | 41.1% | 10% |
| Tennessee | 5.0% | 19% | 31.2% | 7% |
| Texas | 5.5% | 13% | 28.2% | 5% |
| Utah | 3.8% † | 43% | 28.5% | 15% |
| Vermont | 11.7% | 16% | 53.5% | 6% |
| Virginia | 6.1% | 20% | 44.0% | 6% |
| Washington | 6.8% | 16% | 46.0% | 6% |
| West Virginia | Q | 71% | 35.1% | 10% |
| Wisconsin | 3.1% | 27% | 40.2% | 7% |
| Wyoming | 9.7% | 20% | 36.1% | 10% |
Source: calculated by The Plumbing Brief from the RECS 2020 public microdata (v7) using the 60 replicate weights. RSE is the relative standard error. † marks estimates with an RSE between 30 and 50 percent, which should be treated as rough. Q: RSE above 50 percent, withheld following EIA’s rule.
What we calculated
Tankless has tripled its share in new homes
Formula. Weighted share of homes with a tankless main water heater, by year built.
Calculation. Homes built before 2010 sit between 4.6 and 7.9 percent. Homes built 2010 to 2015: 12.0 percent. Homes built 2016 to 2020: 18.0 percent (RSE 8.1).
Finding. Tankless is a new-construction product. In the existing stock it is still a niche, because a tank-to-tankless retrofit usually needs a new gas line, venting or electrical service. In homes built since 2016 it is close to one in five.
Limitations. The year-built groups describe the heater in the home today. A 1960s home with a tankless unit counts as an old home with tankless.
Electric water heating costs half as much again as gas
Formula. Mean annual water heating expenditure by main water heating fuel, all homes.
Calculation. Electricity $341 / natural gas $224 = 1.52.
Finding. In 2020 an electric-resistance household paid about 52 percent more a year to heat water than a gas household, even though it used about half the delivered energy, because electricity cost more per unit. Heat pump water heaters, which are counted as electric here, narrow that gap and are too few in RECS 2020 to separate.
Limitations. 2020 prices. Gas and electricity prices have both moved since, at different rates by state. See our utility bill inflation report for the price index trend.
A third of US water heaters are past a typical service life
Formula. Share of homes whose main water heater is 10 or more years old.
Calculation. (25.10 + 10.35 + 8.98) million / 123.53 million = 36.0 percent.
Finding. About 44 million homes run a water heater that is at least ten years old, and 9 million one that is twenty or more. That is the replacement pipeline for the trade.
Limitations. Age is reported by the household, often as a best guess, and RECS does not record whether an old heater has been serviced.
If you quote one number
- 46 percent of US homes heat water with electricity and 48 percent with gas.
- Florida is the most electric state for water heating at 88 percent; Utah the most gas-reliant at 83 percent.
- The average US home spent $287 to heat water in 2020; Hawaii homes spent $569.
- 18 percent of homes built 2016 to 2020 have a tankless water heater.
- 36 percent of US water heaters are at least ten years old.
Download the data
All 51 rows with EIA’s published fuel shares and costs and our microdata estimates with their relative standard errors. Published under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. Attribution: The Plumbing Brief.
Water heater fuel, cost, tankless share and age by state (EIA RECS 2020) (CSV)
How this report was built
Methodology
Sources. EIA 2020 Residential Energy Consumption Survey: the State Water Heating highlights table (final release March 2023), table CE3.6.ST (end-use expenditures by state, June 2023), table HC8.1, and the public microdata file version 7. Retrieved 4 October 2026.
Published figures. Fuel shares, average costs and national counts are EIA’s published estimates, used as published.
Microdata estimates. Tankless share (WHEATSIZ = 4), heater age 10 years or more (WHEATAGE 4 to 6), costs by fuel, household size and heater type (TOTALDOLWTH) were calculated with the final weight NWEIGHT. Standard errors use the 60 replicate weights (NWEIGHT1 to NWEIGHT60) as the square root of the summed squared deviations. That scaling was chosen because it reproduces EIA’s published relative standard errors (3.52 percent for the national tankless count; 0.80 percent for electric water heating); point estimates match EIA’s published national figures exactly (8.03 million tankless; 57.04 million electric).
Suppression. State microdata estimates with an RSE above 50 percent are withheld, matching EIA’s Q rule. Estimates with an RSE of 30 to 50 percent are flagged. Rankings use only estimates with an RSE of 30 percent or less.
Retrieval date. 4 October 2026.
Data limitations
- RECS 2020 is the most recent edition. Fuel shares change slowly, but heat pump water heater adoption and post-2020 energy prices are not reflected.
- Costs are 2020 dollars at 2020 energy prices, a year when many households were home more than usual.
- Expenditures are modelled by EIA from billing data and household characteristics, not metered at the water heater.
- RECS does not separate heat pump water heaters from electric-resistance units in the public file.
- State sample sizes are small for tankless units; most state tankless estimates carry RSEs above 15 percent.
- Differences between states may not be statistically significant, as EIA itself notes.
Source quality ranking
Tier 1. US Energy Information Administration, 2020 Residential Energy Consumption Survey, published state tables and public microdata.
Tier 2. None used. Tier 3. None used.
Excluded. Manufacturer shipment shares and retailer sales figures, which measure what is sold in a year rather than what is installed in homes.
Summary for reporters
Electricity is the main water heating fuel in 46 percent of US homes and natural gas in 48 percent, according to the Energy Information Administration’s 2020 Residential Energy Consumption Survey, but the split varies from 88 percent electric in Florida to 83 percent gas in Utah. The average household spent $287 on water heating in 2020, 15 percent of its energy bill, ranging from $175 in Colorado to $569 in Hawaii. An analysis of the survey’s microdata by The Plumbing Brief found that 18.0 percent of homes built from 2016 to 2020 have a tankless water heater against 6.5 percent of all homes, and that electric water heating cost an average of $341 a year against $224 for gas.
Angles this supports
- The water heater map: 25 states run mostly on electric
- Heating water costs $569 a year in Hawaii and $175 in Colorado
- Tankless is now in one in five new homes
- 44 million American water heaters are ten years old or more
- Electric water heating costs about half as much again as gas
Questions this answers
Are most US water heaters gas or electric? Nearly even: 48 percent gas and 46 percent electric in 2020 (EIA RECS).
Which state uses the most electric water heaters? Florida, at 88 percent of homes, followed by South Carolina (77 percent) and North Carolina (75 percent).
Which state uses the most gas water heaters? Utah, at 83 percent, followed by California (78 percent) and Colorado (73 percent).
How much does it cost to heat water per year? The US average was $287 per home in 2020, 15 percent of household energy spending.
Is an electric or gas water heater cheaper to run? Gas, on 2020 prices: $224 a year on average against $341 for electric.
How many homes have tankless water heaters? 8.03 million, 6.5 percent of homes, rising to 18.0 percent of homes built 2016 to 2020.
How old are US water heaters? 36.0 percent are ten or more years old and about 7 percent are twenty or more (EIA HC8.1).
Does household size change water heating cost? Yes. One-person households averaged $184 a year, households of five or more $434.
How to cite this report
The Plumbing Brief, “Water Heaters by State: Fuel, Running Cost, Tankless Share and Age (EIA RECS 2020)”, https://theplumbingbrief.com/water-heaters-by-state/, accessed [date].
Last reviewed: 2026-10-04.
