How many watts does an electric water heater use?
An electric water heater uses about 4,500 watts when it is running (most models draw 3,000–5,500 W). Each hour it runs uses 4.5 kWh, which costs about 82¢ at the U.S. average price of 18.16 ¢/kWh. Running 2.5 hours a day, that comes to about 338 kWh, or $61.29 a month.
Watts, amps, and kWh for an electric water heater
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Rated wattage range | 3,000–5,500 W |
| Average draw used in our math | 4,500 W |
| Amps at 240 V | 13–23 A (19 A at the average draw) |
| kWh per hour | 4.50 kWh |
| kWh per day at 2.5 hours/day | 11.25 kWh |
| kWh per month | 337.5 kWh |
| Cost per month at the U.S. average (18.16 ¢/kWh) | $61.29 |
The math is kWh = watts × hours ÷ 1000 and amps = watts ÷ volts. An electric water heater is normally wired for 240 V in US homes; a 120 V unit of the same wattage would draw twice the amps. For the dollars in your state, open cost to run an electric water heater in Texas and switch states from there.
Cost to run an electric water heater in every state
Same 4,500 W draw and 2.5 hours/day, priced at each state's average residential rate (EIA data for August 2026, updated Oct 28, 2026). Open a state for its full cost page.
| State | Price per kWh | Cost per hour | Cost per month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 16.33 ¢/kWh | 73¢ | $55.11 |
| Alaska | 29.41 ¢/kWh | $1.32 | $99.26 |
| Arizona | 15.05 ¢/kWh | 68¢ | $50.79 |
| Arkansas | 14.37 ¢/kWh | 65¢ | $48.50 |
| California | 29.75 ¢/kWh | $1.34 | $100.41 |
| Colorado | 17.17 ¢/kWh | 77¢ | $57.95 |
| Connecticut | 24.51 ¢/kWh | $1.10 | $82.72 |
| Delaware | 18.70 ¢/kWh | 84¢ | $63.11 |
| District of Columbia | 25.98 ¢/kWh | $1.17 | $87.68 |
| Florida | 14.99 ¢/kWh | 67¢ | $50.59 |
| Georgia | 15.90 ¢/kWh | 72¢ | $53.66 |
| Hawaii | 47.18 ¢/kWh | $2.12 | $159.23 |
| Idaho | 13.37 ¢/kWh | 60¢ | $45.12 |
| Illinois | 19.32 ¢/kWh | 87¢ | $65.20 |
| Indiana | 17.02 ¢/kWh | 77¢ | $57.44 |
| Iowa | 17.06 ¢/kWh | 77¢ | $57.58 |
| Kansas | 15.47 ¢/kWh | 70¢ | $52.21 |
| Kentucky | 13.80 ¢/kWh | 62¢ | $46.58 |
| Louisiana | 12.87 ¢/kWh | 58¢ | $43.44 |
| Maine | 32.11 ¢/kWh | $1.44 | $108.37 |
| Maryland | 21.40 ¢/kWh | 96¢ | $72.22 |
| Massachusetts | 30.48 ¢/kWh | $1.37 | $102.87 |
| Michigan | 22.99 ¢/kWh | $1.03 | $77.59 |
| Minnesota | 17.20 ¢/kWh | 77¢ | $58.05 |
| Mississippi | 14.43 ¢/kWh | 65¢ | $48.70 |
| Missouri | 16.02 ¢/kWh | 72¢ | $54.07 |
| Montana | 15.57 ¢/kWh | 70¢ | $52.55 |
| Nebraska | 13.54 ¢/kWh | 61¢ | $45.70 |
| Nevada | 12.72 ¢/kWh | 57¢ | $42.93 |
| New Hampshire | 27.64 ¢/kWh | $1.24 | $93.28 |
| New Jersey | 24.61 ¢/kWh | $1.11 | $83.06 |
| New Mexico | 16.51 ¢/kWh | 74¢ | $55.72 |
| New York | 28.65 ¢/kWh | $1.29 | $96.69 |
| North Carolina | 14.95 ¢/kWh | 67¢ | $50.46 |
| North Dakota | 13.31 ¢/kWh | 60¢ | $44.92 |
| Ohio | 19.38 ¢/kWh | 87¢ | $65.41 |
| Oklahoma | 14.82 ¢/kWh | 67¢ | $50.02 |
| Oregon | 15.92 ¢/kWh | 72¢ | $53.73 |
| Pennsylvania | 21.77 ¢/kWh | 98¢ | $73.47 |
| Rhode Island | 28.18 ¢/kWh | $1.27 | $95.11 |
| South Carolina | 15.76 ¢/kWh | 71¢ | $53.19 |
| South Dakota | 15.15 ¢/kWh | 68¢ | $51.13 |
| Tennessee | 13.42 ¢/kWh | 60¢ | $45.29 |
| Texas | 15.91 ¢/kWh | 72¢ | $53.70 |
| Utah | 13.31 ¢/kWh | 60¢ | $44.92 |
| Vermont | 23.84 ¢/kWh | $1.07 | $80.46 |
| Virginia | 17.64 ¢/kWh | 79¢ | $59.54 |
| Washington | 14.63 ¢/kWh | 66¢ | $49.38 |
| West Virginia | 16.31 ¢/kWh | 73¢ | $55.05 |
| Wisconsin | 19.41 ¢/kWh | 87¢ | $65.51 |
| Wyoming | 14.43 ¢/kWh | 65¢ | $48.70 |
Electric Water Heater electricity usage profile
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| kWh per hour | 4.50 kWh |
| kWh per day (typical) | 11.25 kWh |
| kWh per month (typical) | 337.5 kWh |
| kWh per year (typical) | 4106.3 kWh |
| Low runtime scenario | 1.25 hours/day |
| High runtime scenario | 4.5 hours/day |
Connect usage to cost tools
Related appliance usage pages
Source & Method
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) Retail Sales of Electricity. EIA data for August 2026, updated Oct 28, 2026. Usage calculations use fixed appliance wattage and runtime assumptions so results stay comparable across pages.
Frequently asked questions
How many watts does an electric water heater use?
An electric water heater uses 3,000–5,500 W (about 4,500 W on average). Our usage and cost math uses 4,500 watts running 2.5 hours/day.
How many amps does an electric water heater draw?
On a 240 V circuit, 3,000–5,500 W works out to about 13–23 A; at the 4,500 W we use in the math that is 19 A.
How much electricity does an electric water heater use per month?
About 337.5 kWh a month at 2.5 hours/day. Lighter use (1.25 hours/day) comes to roughly 168.8 kWh and heavier use (4.5 hours/day) roughly 607.5 kWh.
How much does it cost to run an electric water heater per hour?
About 82¢ an hour at the U.S. average rate of 18.16 ¢/kWh: 4,500 watts uses 4.50 kWh each hour. At the same draw it is about 57¢ an hour in Nevada and $2.12 in Hawaii.
How much does it cost to run an electric water heater?
About $61.29 a month at the U.S. average rate of 18.16 ¢/kWh — from roughly $42.93 in Nevada to $159.23 in Hawaii at the same usage. The state cost-to-run pages price it at every state's rate.