Data through April 2026
Cost to run · California · 35.3¢/kWh residential average
How much does it cost to run an electric water heater in California?
$381/yr · median certified model
At 35.3¢/kWh, California ranks among the priciest states for power. The typical certified electric water heater runs about $381 annually here, which makes choosing an efficient model worth actual dollars, not rounding error.
California sits at rank 50 of 51 — near the very top of the cost table for an electric water heater. Model choice matters as much as geography: at California rates the most efficient certified model (Friedrich PROH40 T2 FD400-15) costs $227 a year while the most power-hungry (Smart Solar SSG2-ES 120) costs $614 — a spread of $387 every year. For reference, the national extremes are North Dakota (12.3¢/kWh) and Hawaii (46.6¢/kWh); the same median electric water heater would cost $134 and $504 a year there.
The cheapest water heaters (electric) to run at California rates
| # | Model | kWh/yr | $/yr in CA |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Friedrich PROH40 T2 FD400-15 | 643 | $227 |
| 2 | Rheem PROPH40 T2 RH375-15 | 643 | $227 |
| 3 | Rheem PROPH40 T2 RH400-15 | 643 | $227 |
| 4 | Rheem XE40T10H22U0 | 643 | $227 |
| 5 | Rheem XE40T10H22U1 | 643 | $227 |
| 6 | Richmond 10E40-HP515 | 643 | $227 |
| 7 | Richmond 10E40-HP5U15 | 643 | $227 |
| 8 | Ruud PROUH40 T2 RU375-15 | 643 | $227 |
| 9 | Ruud PROUH40 T2 RU400-15 | 643 | $227 |
| 10 | Eco-Logical OMNI-50HP1-1A | 681 | $240 |
Price any model at California rates
Your rate, your numbers
- Per day
- $1.04
- Per month
- $31.78
- Per year
- $381
1,082 kWh/yr × 35.3¢/kWh = $381/yr
Prefilled with the median certified electric water heater (1,082 kWh/yr). Every model page on this site carries its exact certified figure.
Questions, answered with the data
- How much does it cost to run an electric water heater in California?
- About $381 a year for the median ENERGY STAR certified electric water heater, at California's average residential rate of 35.3¢/kWh — that's $31.78 a month.
- Is electricity expensive in California?
- California's residential average of 35.3¢/kWh is 87% above the U.S. average of 18.8¢/kWh, ranking 50 of 51 jurisdictions (1 = cheapest).
- What's the cheapest electric water heater to run in California?
- Among currently certified models, the Friedrich PROH40 T2 FD400-15 costs the least at about $227 a year at California rates (643 kWh/yr).
- How does California compare with other states?
- The same median electric water heater costs $134 a year in North Dakota (the cheapest state) and $504 in Hawaii (the priciest). California sits at $381.
Keep digging
- All certified water heaters (electric) compared
- Water Heaters (Electric) costs in New York (rank 48 of 51)
- Water Heaters (Electric) costs in Connecticut (rank 49 of 51)
- Water Heaters (Electric) costs in Hawaii (rank 51 of 51)
- Running an air purifier in California
- Running a clothes dryer in California
- Running a clothes washer in California
- Running a computer monitor in California
Rate source: US EIA, average residential price of electricity, see methodology.