Heat pump water heater
Uses about a third of the electricity of a standard tank.
View on AmazonChecked against official sources on 25 October 2026
How much does an electric water heater cost to run?
About $52 a month
for a standard 50-gallon electric tank with medium hot water use in No match. Pick "Another country" to type your own price. , at 18.16 cents per kWh.
Type your electricity price to see the cost.
cents per kWh
- Uses
- 9.45 kWh a day
- Uses per year
- 3,450 kWh
If your hot water is heated by electricity, it's one of the bigger loads in your home. By our estimate, a standard 50-gallon electric tank uses about 3,450 kWh a year, roughly seven times what a typical full-size fridge uses. A heat pump water heater makes the same hot water with about a quarter of the electricity.
Both figures are for the U.S. Department of Energy's medium-usage test, so they compare the same amount of hot water. The heat pump figure is the median of ENERGY STAR certified models. The standard tank figure is worked out from it, as the table further down shows. For your own tank, look for the kWh a year on its yellow EnergyGuide label and type it into the calculator.
Work out your own electric water heater
Typical use: 3,450 kWh a year
You'll find it on the appliance's energy label.
cents per kWh
Per day$1.72
Per month$52
Per year$627
Something else with a plug? Use the running cost calculator. Want your own appliance's exact figure? A plug-in electricity usage monitor shows the real kWh it uses.
Popular buys that cut the cost
What people reading this page usually look for next. Links open your country's Amazon store.
Storage water heater (geyser)
Pick an efficient, well-insulated tank.
View on AmazonInstant / tankless water heater
Heats only when you use hot water.
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Standard tank or heat pump
Electricity a year to make the same hot water in the Department of Energy's medium-usage test. Costs below use the price you set above.
| Type of water heater | Energy per year | Cost per year |
|---|---|---|
| Standard electric tank (50 gallons)Estimate at the federal minimum efficiency | $627 | |
| Heat pump water heater (ENERGY STAR)340 models | $160 |
How the standard tank figure is worked out
| Step | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Median yearly electricity use of ENERGY STAR heat pump water heaters, medium-usage test | 883 kWh | ENERGY STAR heat pump water heaters, 340 models |
| Median efficiency (UEF) of those models | 3.6 | ENERGY STAR heat pump water heaters |
| Hot water heat delivered (883 × 3.6) | about 3,180 kWh | Calculated |
| Minimum efficiency (UEF) for a 50-gallon electric tank, medium usage: 0.9307 − (0.0002 × 50) | 0.92 | 10 CFR 430.32(d) |
| Electricity a standard tank needs (3,180 ÷ 0.92) | about 3,450 kWh a year | Calculated |
A Rheem Professional Classic 50-gallon tank is listed at UEF 0.92, the same as the federal minimum, so the estimate fits a typical new standard tank. Older tanks may use more.
What it costs in other countries
For a standard 50-gallon electric tank with medium hot water use, at each country's official average electricity price.
| Country | Price per kWh | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 18.16 cents | $52 | $627 |
| United Kingdom | 26.32 pence | £76 | £908 |
| Germany | 36.18 cents | €104 | €1,248 |
| Ireland | 38.71 cents | €111 | €1,335 |
| France | 24.85 cents | €71 | €857 |
| Spain | 25.09 cents | €72 | €866 |
| Italy | 31.42 cents | €90 | €1,084 |
| Netherlands | 24.40 cents | €70 | €842 |
Prices from the U.S. EIA, Ofgem and Eurostat; see Sources below. To see another country, pick it at the top of the page; we cover 51.
How to cut the cost of running your electric water heater
-
Switch to a heat pump water heater
In our comparison, the median ENERGY STAR heat pump model uses about 2,570 kWh a year less than a standard 50-gallon tank for the same hot water.
Saves about $466 a year
-
Use the efficiency mode
ENERGY STAR says a heat pump water heater's Efficiency or Economy mode uses only the heat pump. Electric or Heater mode uses only the resistance element and is the least efficient.
-
Use less hot water
Every gallon of hot water you don't use is water the tank doesn't have to heat.
-
Check whether an old tank is worth replacing
Type the kWh from its EnergyGuide label into the replace-or-keep calculator to see the saving and the payback time.
Savings use the electricity price you set above and figures from this page's sources.
What can power it
An electric water heater is wired to a 240 V circuit rather than plugged in. A standard 50-gallon tank such as Rheem's Professional Classic is rated at 4,500 W, and some heat pump models in the ENERGY STAR data, such as A.O. Smith's, list the same 4.5 kW of electric input.
Running one from backup power needs a 240 V supply and a setup designed by a qualified electrician.
Common questions
How much electricity does a water heater use?
By our estimate, a standard 50-gallon electric tank uses about 3,450 kWh a year with medium hot water use. The median ENERGY STAR heat pump water heater uses 883 kWh a year in the same test.
How many watts is an electric water heater?
A standard 50-gallon tank is commonly rated at 4,500 W; Rheem's Professional Classic 50-gallon model is one example. It only draws that while it's heating, so the yearly kWh is a better guide to cost than the watts.
Is a heat pump water heater worth it?
It uses about a quarter of the electricity of a standard tank for the same hot water: 883 kWh a year against about 3,450 kWh in our comparison. ENERGY STAR says a family of four can save about $600 a year. It needs the right spot: ENERGY STAR says between 40 °F and 90 °F all year, with about 1,000 cubic feet of air around it.
What about a bigger household?
Heat pump models rated for the Department of Energy's high-usage test have a median of 1,254 kWh a year across 350 ENERGY STAR models. If you have the EnergyGuide label for your own tank, type its kWh a year into the calculator.
How much does it cost to run an electric water heater per day?
About $1.72 a day in the United States, at the average price of 18.16 cents per kWh, or about £2.49 a day in the UK at 26.32 pence, for a standard 50-gallon electric tank with medium hot water use. That adds up to about $627 or £908 a year.
Sources
- ENERGY STAR Certified Heat Pump Water Heaters data set (U.S. EPA), 717 models: median 883 kWh a year and median UEF 3.6 for 340 medium-usage models; median 1,254 kWh a year for 350 high-usage models; fetched 25 October 2026
- U.S. Code of Federal Regulations, 10 CFR 430.32(d): energy conservation standards for electric storage water heaters (eCFR), fetched 25 October 2026
- HVACDirect, Rheem Professional Classic 50-gallon electric water heater (PROE50 T2 RH95) listing: 4,500 W, 240 V, UEF 0.92, fetched 25 October 2026
- ENERGY STAR, heat pump water heater fact sheet (2025 update): about $600 a year saved for a family of four, fetched 25 October 2026
- ENERGY STAR, Heat Pump Water Heaters: installation space 40–90 °F and 1,000 cubic feet of air, fetched 25 October 2026
- ENERGY STAR, Heat Pump Water Heaters: how it works, including Efficiency, Hybrid and Electric modes, fetched 25 October 2026
- Eurostat, Electricity prices for household consumers (nrg_pc_204): consumption band 2,500–4,999 kWh, all taxes and levies included, January–June 2026 (updated 13 October 2026)
- Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE), Quarterly Survey of Domestic Electricity Prices, report for 15 August 2026: New Zealand average retail price, modelled household using 8,000 kWh a year, including GST
- SP Group, regulated electricity tariff for households (low tension), 1 October to 31 December 2026, including 9% GST
- Ofgem energy price cap: average Direct Debit electricity unit rate, England, Scotland and Wales, 1 October to 31 December 2026
- U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electricity Monthly Update: average residential price, August 2026 (released 23 October 2026)
Last checked 25 October 2026. How we get our numbers.