Electric, gas and power-vent tank water heaters: the cost ranges

The tank. At Lowe's on 4 November 2026 a 50-gallon electric tank cost $549 to $1,029 (a basic 40-gallon was $459), a standard-vent gas tank $659 to $1,119, and a power-vent gas tank $1,409. The power-vent unit costs more because it has a fan and sealed venting. The fan runs on electricity, so a power-vent heater needs an outlet nearby that a standard-vent gas heater does not. Power vents are usually used where there is no chimney or vertical flue, because they vent sideways through a wall in plastic pipe.

Parts. Connectors ($13 to $52 each), a relief valve ($15 to $58), and, where required, an expansion tank ($35 to $60) and drain pan ($14 to $28) are counted. Vent and gas fittings for a standard-vent gas heater are an allowance of about $100, and a power vent adds $60 to $250 for plastic vent pipe and fittings.

Hours. We count 2 to 4 hours for an electric swap, 2.5 to 4.5 for gas (gas connection, leak test, vent check) and 4 to 7 for a power vent (a wall opening and a glued vent run). The gas and power-vent hours are our estimates.

Cross-check. The federal REMDB database (2023 dollars) puts a 50-gallon electric tank swap at about $1,860 and a gas tank swap at about $2,050 installed. Our typical figures are $1,800 and $2,150.

The Energy Information Administration's US residential averages were 18.16 cents a kilowatt-hour for electricity in August 2026 (17.57 a year earlier) and, for natural gas, $16.16 per thousand cubic feet (about $1.56 per therm) in March 2026 against $27.05 (about $2.61 per therm) in August 2026, at 10.36 therms per thousand cubic feet (the EIA's 1,036 Btu per cubic foot). A kilowatt-hour holds 3,412 Btu and a therm 100,000, so electricity at 18.16 cents costs about $53 per million Btu of raw energy and gas at the March rate about $15.60, before counting how much of that energy each tank turns into hot water and keeps in the tank. The summer gas figure is higher partly because fixed monthly charges are spread over little use, so a single month says little about a year. Your own rates, and any time-of-day or seasonal pricing, are what apply. Neither fuel price is in the install ranges above.

• Where it sits. A basement with a floor drain is the simple case. A tight closet or an attic adds time and parts, and old venting or a corroded shutoff valve can add more.
• Size and warranty. A bigger tank or a longer warranty moves the heater price within the shelf range. The sizing calculator shows the Department of Energy's peak-hour worksheet for the tank's first hour rating.
• Code items. An expansion tank, drain pan, new venting or a new outlet or circuit for a power vent can change the total, and an outlet or circuit is an electrician's job that is not included.
• Season and demand. A failed heater is often replaced at once, and urgent or busy-season jobs can be priced differently from planned ones. Our figures do not capture either.
• Not included. Tankless units, heat pump water heaters, moving the heater, new gas lines and water damage repair.