Gas vs Electric Water Heater: How to Choose in Denver
Gas recovers about twice as fast and usually costs less to run on Front Range utility rates. Electric costs less to install, needs no venting, and fits places gas cannot go. What you already have in the house usually decides it.
- Straight comparison on recovery, operating cost, and install cost
- Venting, gas load, and circuit capacity checked before you commit
- Free quote on either path
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What it is
Gas water heater and electric water heater A gas water heater burns natural gas or propane to heat water and vents exhaust outside, while an electric water heater uses electric heating elements inside the tank and needs no venting.
Denver's high altitude affects gas appliance venting and combustion, so the choice between gas and electric can change what installation work and permitting are required.
Switching fuel types is a bigger job than switching tanks
Going electric to gas means a gas line, a flue, and combustion air. Going gas to electric means a dedicated 240 volt circuit with enough panel capacity. Staying with what the house already has is almost always the cheapest sound decision.
- Gas: faster recovery, lower running cost, needs venting
- Electric: cheaper install, no combustion air, slower recovery
- Heat pump electric: very efficient, needs space and warm air around it
- Panel and gas meter capacity decide what is even possible
Lean gas when
- You already have a gas line and flue at the heater
- The household drains hot water fast and needs quick recovery
- The unit lives in an unconditioned basement or garage
- You want the lowest monthly operating cost
What we check before recommending a fuel type
- Existing gas line size and total appliance load on the meter
- Flue condition, and whether it is shared with a furnace
- Electrical panel capacity and available 240 volt space
- Combustion air volume in the room for an atmospheric gas unit
- Whether a heat pump water heater has the air volume and drain it needs
- Operating cost estimate on your actual utility rates
What to expect and how the work gets done
- 1
Site check
Look at the meter, the panel, the flue, and the room the heater sits in.
- 2
Compare
Install cost, recovery rate, and monthly operating cost side by side.
- 3
Decide
Usually stay with the existing fuel unless there is a clear reason to switch.
- 4
Install
Permitted install with venting or circuit work included in the scope.
Fuel type is one decision. Tank versus tankless is the other. The full side by side table lives on our Denver water heaters hub.
Compare tank and tankless water heatersCredentials, reviews, and company proof
- Colorado Master PlumberFixture and appliance work is permitted and code-compliant, not handyman work.
- Plumbing Contractor license 2110Licensed to pull permits and pass inspection on gas, water, and drain work.
- Serving Denver since 2006Two decades of Front Range water chemistry, altitude, and inspection practice.
Ready when you are
Tell us what is happening and your Denver neighborhood. We will route it fast.
Cost drivers on each path
Install price and running price move in opposite directions, which is why the comparison has to include both.
Need help right now? 24/7 emergency plumbing service. Planning a larger repair? See financing options.
- Running a new gas line and sizing it for total appliance load
- New or relined flue versus a power-vent unit that sidewall vents
- New 240 volt circuit and available panel space for electric
- Heat pump models need clearance, air volume, and a condensate drain
- Local permit and inspection fees for gas or electrical work
Frequently asked questions
Licenses, credentials, and company proof
- Colorado Master PlumberLicense MP-18927
- Colorado State Plumbing ContractorLicense 2110
- Family Owned & OperatedServing Denver since 2006, 20 years
- Better Business BureauAccredited Business, A+ rating
- Angie's List Super Service Award2012 through 2017
- Serving Denver since 2006Residential and commercial properties across the metro
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Gas or electric? We will tell you straight
Free assessment of what your house can actually support.