What an electric water heater costs to run in Illinois
Illinois homes use 2,123 kWh a year on an electric water heater. Priced on top of the rest of the bill, that costs $225.96 to $225.96 a year across 24 published Illinois plans — a $0.00 gap. Checked September 2, 2026.
Every priced plan, average
| Plan | Per year | vs cheapest | Effective |
|---|---|---|---|
| Residential Single Family With Electric Space Heat Delivery Class(Retail Delivery Service-Unbundled)flat rate · delivery charges only | $32.16 | −$193.80 | 4.5¢ |
| Residential Multi Family With Electric Space Heat Delivery Class(Retail Delivery Service-Unbundled)flat rate · delivery charges only | $38.64 | −$187.32 | 3.6¢ |
| Residential Single Family Without Electric Space Heat Delivery Class(Retail Delivery Service)flat rate · delivery charges only | $58.92 | −$167.04 | 5.5¢ |
| BESH- Residential Single Family With Electric Space Heat Delivery Class(Unbundled)demand charge · delivery charges only | $66.22 | −$159.74 | 6.1¢ |
| BESH- Residential Multi Family With Electric Space Heat Delivery Class(Unbundled)demand charge · delivery charges only | $72.58 | −$153.38 | 5.3¢ |
| Residential Multi Family Without Electric Space Heat Delivery Class(Retail Delivery Service-Unbundled)flat rate · delivery charges only | $74.16 | −$151.80 | 5.1¢ |
| RDS - Residential Multi Family With Electric Space Heat Delivery Classtime-of-use · delivery charges only | $92.64 | −$133.32 | 6.7¢ |
| BESH- Residential Single Family Without Electric Space Heat Delivery Class(Unbundled)demand charge · delivery charges only | $92.86 | −$133.10 | 7.1¢ |
| RDS - Residential Single Family with Electric Space Heat Delivery Classtime-of-use · delivery charges only | $95.52 | −$130.44 | 7.6¢ |
| BESH- Residential Multi Family Without Electric Space Heat Delivery Class(Unbundled)demand charge · delivery charges only | $108.22 | −$117.74 | 6.8¢ |
| RDS - Residential Multi Family Without Electric Space Heat Delivery Classtime-of-use · delivery charges only | $132.00 | −$93.96 | 8.4¢ |
| Electric Heat Residential Income Qualified Senior Citizen - Southern View (Rate 36)time-of-use · income-qualified rate | $191.96 | −$34.00 | 10.1¢ |
| Electric Heat Residential Income Qualified Senior Citizen (Rate 37)time-of-use · income-qualified rate | $191.96 | −$34.00 | 10.1¢ |
| BES - Residential Multi Family With Electric Space Heat Delivery Classtime-of-use · delivery charges only | $200.68 | −$25.28 | 11.8¢ |
| BES - Residential Single Family with Electric Space Heat Delivery Classtime-of-use · delivery charges only | $201.76 | −$24.20 | 12.6¢ |
| Regular Residential - Senior Citizen (Rate 33)time-of-use · senior citizens only | $203.80 | −$22.16 | 10.7¢ |
| Regular Residential- Southern View Senior Citizen (Rate 32)time-of-use · senior citizens only | $203.80 | −$22.16 | 10.7¢ |
| Electric Heat Residential (Rate 34)time-of-use · needs electric heating | $212.68 | −$13.28 | 11.3¢ |
| Electric Heat Residential - Southern View (Rate 35)time-of-use · needs electric heating | $212.68 | −$13.28 | 11.3¢ |
| Regular Residential - Southern View (Rate 31)✓ cheapesttime-of-use | $225.96 | — | 11.9¢ |
| Regular Residential (Rate 30)time-of-use | $225.96 | +$0.00 | 11.9¢ |
| BES - Residential Multi Family Without Electric Space Heat Delivery Classtime-of-use · delivery charges only | $238.12 | +$12.16 | 13.4¢ |
| BES - Residential Single Family Without Electric Space Heat Delivery Classtime-of-use · delivery charges only | $268.28 | +$42.32 | 15.4¢ |
| RDS - Residential Single Family Without Electric Space Heat Delivery Classtime-of-use · delivery charges only | $436.68 | +$210.72 | 23.3¢ |
Cost across usage levels
The cheapest plan at each consumption level, showing whether the ranking holds as usage changes.
- Lighter use — cheapest $111.88 (Regular Residential (Rate 30)), dearest $111.88
- Average — cheapest $225.96 (Regular Residential - Southern View (Rate 31)), dearest $225.96, a $0.00 spread
- Heavier use — cheapest $286.68 (Regular Residential (Rate 30)), dearest $286.68
What an electric water heater costs here
Across 24 plans priced in Illinois, an electric water heater adds $225.96 to $225.96 a year — $18.83 to $18.83 a month. The median plan puts an electric water heater at $225.96 a year.
Cheapest for an electric water heater: Regular Residential - Southern View (Rate 31), City of Springfield, Illinois (Utility Company). Dearest: Regular Residential (Rate 30), City of Springfield, Illinois (Utility Company).
Those 2,123 kWh are billed at 10.6¢–10.6¢, against a 11.9¢ whole-bill average on the median plan, so on these plans the two rates are close.
What Illinois homes use
EIA's 2020 residential survey found 2,123 kWh a year across 144 sampled homes that run one, 22% under the national 2,706 kWh. The middle half spans 1,051 kWh to 2,694 kWh, so an electric water heater varies by 1,643 kWh between one household and another.
Electricity used to heat water for washing, bathing and appliances. That average covers homes with an electric water heater — 29% of homes here, against 47% nationally.
That makes an electric water heater about 25% of the electricity an Illinois home uses. The remaining 6,329 kWh is what an electric water heater is billed on top of, and on a tiered or time-of-use plan that is what sets the rate it meets.
Light and heavy use of an electric water heater
A household in the lighter quarter runs an electric water heater for 1,051 kWh a year and pays $111.88 on the cheapest plan. One in the heavier quarter runs it for 2,694 kWh and pays $286.68 — $174.80 more for an electric water heater on the same tariff.
Limits
A 2020 survey average for Illinois, not a measurement of any one home, priced against the 24 Illinois tariffs WattClear has ingested — not every plan sold there.
New to these terms? The methodology page explains tiered bands, time-of-use periods and fixed charges, and sets out exactly what the rate engine assumes.
Estimate — your actual bill may differ.
Tariff structures from NREL/OpenEI Utility Rate Database (CC0 1.0), retrieved September 2, 2026.
Location resolved through the US Census Bureau Geocoder (Public domain) at 39.7817, -89.6501.