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How much does it cost to run an electric water heater?
At the U.S. average residential price of 18.34¢ per kilowatt-hour (June 2026), running an electric water heater costs about $642 a year. Your own bill depends on your state's rate, which ranges from 13.11¢ to 52.72¢ across the country.
- Per day
- $1.76
- Per month
- $53.49
- Per year
- $642
Assumption: 3,500 kWh a year. A 50-gallon resistance tank for a household of three or four. This is typically the largest or second-largest electric load in a home without electric heat.
Cost by state
Same appliance, same usage, 51 different prices. Sorted cheapest first.
| State | Rate | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nevada | 13.11¢ | $38.24 | $459 |
| Nebraska | 13.25¢ | $38.65 | $464 |
| Utah | 13.37¢ | $39.00 | $468 |
| Louisiana | 13.49¢ | $39.35 | $472 |
| Tennessee | 14.07¢ | $41.04 | $492 |
| North Dakota | 14.12¢ | $41.18 | $494 |
| Arkansas | 14.12¢ | $41.18 | $494 |
| Kentucky | 14.26¢ | $41.59 | $499 |
| Oklahoma | 14.33¢ | $41.80 | $502 |
| Idaho | 14.37¢ | $41.91 | $503 |
| North Carolina | 14.74¢ | $42.99 | $516 |
| Mississippi | 14.88¢ | $43.40 | $521 |
| Washington | 14.91¢ | $43.49 | $522 |
| New Mexico | 15.06¢ | $43.93 | $527 |
| Florida | 15.10¢ | $44.04 | $528 |
| Montana | 15.14¢ | $44.16 | $530 |
| Arizona | 15.18¢ | $44.27 | $531 |
| Wyoming | 15.24¢ | $44.45 | $533 |
| South Dakota | 15.36¢ | $44.80 | $538 |
| West Virginia | 15.45¢ | $45.06 | $541 |
| South Carolina | 15.55¢ | $45.35 | $544 |
| Kansas | 15.71¢ | $45.82 | $550 |
| Iowa | 15.93¢ | $46.46 | $558 |
| Texas | 15.94¢ | $46.49 | $558 |
| Missouri | 16.22¢ | $47.31 | $568 |
| Oregon | 16.32¢ | $47.60 | $571 |
| Georgia | 16.36¢ | $47.72 | $573 |
| Alabama | 16.40¢ | $47.83 | $574 |
| Colorado | 17.13¢ | $49.96 | $600 |
| Virginia | 17.22¢ | $50.22 | $603 |
| Indiana | 17.51¢ | $51.07 | $613 |
| Minnesota | 17.52¢ | $51.10 | $613 |
| Ohio | 19.19¢ | $55.97 | $672 |
| Delaware | 19.29¢ | $56.26 | $675 |
| Wisconsin | 19.56¢ | $57.05 | $685 |
| Illinois | 19.89¢ | $58.01 | $696 |
| Pennsylvania | 21.73¢ | $63.38 | $761 |
| Maryland | 21.84¢ | $63.70 | $764 |
| Michigan | 22.99¢ | $67.05 | $805 |
| Connecticut | 24.32¢ | $70.93 | $851 |
| District of Columbia | 24.39¢ | $71.14 | $854 |
| Vermont | 24.44¢ | $71.28 | $855 |
| New Jersey | 24.95¢ | $72.77 | $873 |
| New Hampshire | 27.01¢ | $78.78 | $945 |
| Alaska | 28.21¢ | $82.28 | $987 |
| Rhode Island | 29.23¢ | $85.25 | $1,023 |
| New York | 29.49¢ | $86.01 | $1,032 |
| Maine | 29.59¢ | $86.30 | $1,036 |
| Massachusetts | 29.61¢ | $86.36 | $1,036 |
| California | 34.74¢ | $101 | $1,216 |
| Hawaii | 52.72¢ | $154 | $1,845 |
Cutting the number down
- A heat-pump water heater does the same job for roughly a third of the electricity, which is why it usually pays back faster than any other upgrade in the house.
- Dropping the setpoint from 140 F to 120 F cuts standby losses and scalding risk at once.
- An insulating blanket on an older tank pays for itself in a season; check the manufacturer's guidance first.
Questions
- How many watts does an electric water heater use?
- Usage is better expressed as 3,500 kWh a year.
- How much does an electric water heater cost per month?
- About $53.49 a month at the U.S. average rate, or $642 a year.
- Where is it cheapest to run?
- Nevada, at $459 a year, versus $1,845 in Hawaii — a spread of $1,386.