These Are the Facts.
25% of every American household energy dollar is spent producing domestic hot water.
Nationwide more residential energy is consumed by domestic hot water than on anything but heating, and air conditioning.
Electricity is the WORST way to heat hot water while natural gas and propane gas are much more efficient, smarter choices.
Based on national fuel price averages of $1.46/ccf and $0.09/kwh, the cost/100,000 BTU's is $1.46 for natural gas and $2.64 for electricity. Just under 60% of North American households have access to natural gas, and if you don't, propane gas is available to almost everyone and is still a better value than electricity. In addition electric water heaters have only a small fraction of the capacity of gas water heaters. So if you like expensive, short showers, with cold water at the end, use electric; otherwise gas would be a better choice.
Modern gas fired tankless water heaters are the best alternative available to todays homeowners to reduce their residential energy consumption.
A typical gas fired tankless water heater costs about 2-1/2 times as much as a standard tank water heater. However it will pay for itself in just a few years or less, and will last twice as long a tank.
If you are considering a tankless water heater Rinnai is clearly your best choice. On average a new Rinnai is installed somewhere in North America every 3.75 minutes.
Rinnai has shipped over 30 million tankless water heaters world wide.
