Monday, May 14, 2012

Electric Water Heater vs. Gas Water Heater

Can anyone in blog land give me some feedback on how they doing with their choice for an electric water heater or gas water heater?  I have done some research as usual and would like to make an informed decision.  In some states they are offering the gas water heater for free!!  In our community, you have to pay the cost of $950 for a gas efficiency water heater.  BTW, I asked the SR about the tankless water heater and she said it was not an option.    If you chose a gas water heater, are your bills lower or higher than expected and the same with the electric?  Thank you so much!

10 comments:

  1. I believe the costs will be about the same based upon my research but different portions of your utility bills will change. They both use electricity, but the typical heater will use more, while the gas one will use more gas but less electricity. Then of course there is the water usage you will definitely fair better with tankless, but that only comes default with an upgraded tub from Ryan. Could definitely use some input from homeowners' experience.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Okay, wonderful! I will be taking a look at my current bill to observe the usage and how it is itemized. Thank you!

      Delete
  2. Depends on where you are in the country, some states Natural Gas is very cheep others not so much.

    ReplyDelete
  3. i had a 50 gallon gas water heater at my last house. It wasn't to old when we moved in and still heating strong 12 years later when I moved. The new Ryan home came with a 50 gal Electric Water heater. I inquired into the cost of upgrading to a gas. It was around $1000. Ummmm NO!. As steve said, the math is not to much different. A lot has to do with cost of electric versus gas. My power bill for the first 3 months has been $200, $93, and the latest $127. I have no complaints. AND since the furnace is gas, when it's time to replace the electric water heater in 15-ish years I can always tap into the gas line and install a gas heater. Ryan is gouging at the upgrade cost. I promise the money you save with a gas heater (over electric) will not be offset by the cost of upgrade.
    for hell's sake, what do you get for $950? The gas heaters only cost $450 ish.
    http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Navigation?catalogId=10053&localize=locCat&redirect=Navigation%3FstoreId%3D10051%26langId%3D-1%26catalogId%3D10053%26N%3D5yc1vZc1tz&N=5yc1vZc1tz&langId=-1&cm_sp=Plumbing-_-WaterHeaters-_-VisNav-_-Gas-_-ShopWaterHeaters_img&localizeVal=562247&storeId=10051&ddkey=http:THDPlsLocalize
    versus electric at $450-ish.
    http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Navigation?catalogId=10053&localize=locCat&redirect=Navigation%3FstoreId%3D10051%26langId%3D-1%26catalogId%3D10053%26N%3D5yc1vZc1u1&N=5yc1vZc1u1&langId=-1&cm_sp=Plumbing-_-WaterHeaters-_-VisNav-_-Electric-_-ShopWaterHeaters_img&localizeVal=562249&storeId=10051&ddkey=http:THDPlsLocalize
    It should be an even split. What's the $950 for? They have to run a gas line to the furnace? What's another few feet of line?
    So my recommendation is NOT let ryan gouge you. You can always upgrade later for less money.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Agreed, $950 seems to be steep for the gas water heater. I am surprised a little since they come standard with gas up here.

      Delete
    2. Okay, thanks guys! This is definitely feedback worth considering! The price difference is ridiculous! I will be sticking with the electric.

      Delete
  4. My two cents: take the standard electric water heater and upgrade to gas if you desire later down the road. I just built a house near Buffalo, NY and I opted for the electric due to the upgrade cost, the finance cost (over the life of a 30 year mortgate) and the added taxes (taxes are based on sales price, add $1000, add $4 per month to your taxes forever. I can updgrade to gas when the electric model dies; this way I don't have to pay higher taxes, I can pay cash so I'm not financing for decades, and I get the value of using the standard electric model. Ryan homes really nails you on this upgrade, you pay the cost of the electric (they're not lowering the price of the house) and you pay way over double the actual cost of the gas model. Go electric, change later if desired.

    ReplyDelete
  5. After receiving all this great feedback from everyone which I appreciate so much! The electric heater will stay in place. This mathematical breakdown is awesome!

    ReplyDelete
  6. These kind of reviews are too helpful. If there's a homeowner who is planning on buy a water heater he should consult with the article.Heating and Cooling Toronto

    ReplyDelete