While choosing a water heater might not seem like a big deal, the act of heating water is the second-largest expense in American homes — meaning that you might want to spend a little bit of extra time considering what water heater to buy.

When examining the two types of water heaters, there is one difference between the two that is quite obvious. One water heater operates using electricity while the other operates using gas. When it comes to determining which water heater is right for your home, it is important to consider what source of power your home currently operates on. If your home only operates on electricity, it doesn’t make sense to purchase a gas water heater. That said, if your home has hookups for both gas and electricity, you have a decision to make.

Gas water heaters are more expensive to purchase and install. That said, they also have a slightly lower operating cost — meaning that as time progresses you can actually save money and reduce the burden of the initial cost.

While it might seem like the clear and obvious choice to purchase a gas water heater because of savings alone, there are some desirable qualities that electric water heaters have as well. For one, electric water heaters are cheaper — so it will be less of an investment. Second, because they operate with electricity rather than gas, they are safer. Gas water heaters operate using a pilot light, and if that light goes out, it could lead to a gas leak.

In short, there are certainly pros and cons to each type of water heater, but we would be happy to discuss them with you if you have any questions!