What an electric water heater costs to run in Minnesota
Minnesota homes use 3,021 kWh a year on an electric water heater. Priced on top of the rest of the bill, that costs $262.45 to $489.56 a year across 24 published Minnesota plans — a $227.11 gap. Checked September 2, 2026.
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Every priced plan, average
| Plan | Per year | vs cheapest | Effective |
|---|---|---|---|
| Residential Heat Pump Service (E06)time-of-use · needs a heat pump | $170.32 | −$92.13 | 6.0¢ |
| Energy Controlled Service/Non-Demand Metered (E10 )-Residentialtime-of-use · needs controlled load equipment | $175.24 | −$87.21 | 6.2¢ |
| Energy Controlled Service Non-demand metered Residential (A05)flat rate · needs controlled load equipment | $219.72 | −$42.73 | 8.0¢ |
| Residential Time of Day Service (D02/D04) Electric Space Heatingtime-of-use · needs electric heating | $251.57 | −$10.88 | 10.5¢ |
| Residential Time of Day Service (D02/D04) Standard✓ cheapesttime-of-use | $262.45 | — | 10.9¢ |
| Residential Service (D01/D03) Standardtime-of-use | $267.20 | +$4.75 | 10.8¢ |
| Residential Service (D01/D03) Electric Space Heatingtime-of-use · needs electric heating | $276.12 | +$13.67 | 11.1¢ |
| Residential Service - Underground (E03) Electric Space Heatingtime-of-use · tiered · needs electric heating | $280.00 | +$17.55 | 10.6¢ |
| Residential Service Time Of Day - Overhead (E02) Electric Space Heatingtime-of-use · needs electric heating | $308.29 | +$45.84 | 11.5¢ |
| Residential Service Time Of Day - Undergound (E04) Electric Space Heatingtime-of-use · needs electric heating | $308.29 | +$45.84 | 11.8¢ |
| Residential Service Time Of Day - Overhead (E02)time-of-use | $324.49 | +$62.04 | 12.1¢ |
| Residential Service Time Of Day - Underground (E04)time-of-use | $324.49 | +$62.04 | 12.3¢ |
| Residential Service - Underground (E03)time-of-use · tiered | $334.32 | +$71.87 | 12.4¢ |
| Residential Service - Overhead (E01) Electric Space Heatingtime-of-use · tiered · needs electric heating | $334.32 | +$71.87 | 12.1¢ |
| Residential Service - Overhead (E01)time-of-use · tiered | $350.16 | +$87.71 | 12.6¢ |
| Residential TOD Underground Electric Space Heating (A04)time-of-use · needs electric heating | $414.24 | +$151.79 | 14.5¢ |
| Residential TOD Overhead Electric Space Heating (A02)time-of-use · needs electric heating | $414.24 | +$151.79 | 14.5¢ |
| Residential Service - Underground Electric Space Heating (A03)time-of-use · needs electric heating | $420.12 | +$157.67 | 14.7¢ |
| Residential Service - Overhead Electric Space Heating (A01)time-of-use · needs electric heating | $420.12 | +$157.67 | 14.7¢ |
| Residential TOD Underground Standard (A04)time-of-use | $452.56 | +$190.11 | 15.8¢ |
| Residential TOD Overhead Standard (A02)time-of-use | $470.41 | +$207.96 | 16.3¢ |
| Residential Electric Vehicle Service (A08)time-of-use · needs an electric vehicle | $482.24 | +$219.79 | 16.7¢ |
| Residential Service - Overhead Standard (A01)time-of-use | $489.56 | +$227.11 | 17.0¢ |
| Residential Service - Underground Standard (A03)time-of-use | $489.56 | +$227.11 | 17.0¢ |
Cost across usage levels
The cheapest plan at each consumption level, showing whether the ranking holds as usage changes.
- Lighter use — cheapest $104.71 (Residential Time of Day Service (D02/D04) Standard), dearest $195.36, a $90.65 spread
- Average — cheapest $262.45 (Residential Time of Day Service (D02/D04) Standard), dearest $489.56, a $227.11 spread
- Heavier use — cheapest $360.66 (Residential Time of Day Service (D02/D04) Standard), dearest $672.76, a $312.10 spread
What an electric water heater costs here
Across 24 plans priced in Minnesota, an electric water heater adds $262.45 to $489.56 a year — $21.87 to $40.80 a month. The median plan puts an electric water heater at $342.24 a year.
Cheapest for an electric water heater: Residential Time of Day Service (D02/D04) Standard, Northern States Power Co - Minnesota (North Dakota). Dearest: Residential Service - Underground Standard (A03), Northern States Power Co - Minnesota.
Those 3,021 kWh are billed at 8.7¢–16.2¢, against a 12.5¢ whole-bill average on the median plan: they land in the last tier the household reaches, so the average rate understates them by up to 3.7¢ per kWh.
What Minnesota homes use
EIA's 2020 residential survey found 3,021 kWh a year across 117 sampled homes that run one, near the national 2,706 kWh. The middle half spans 1,206 kWh to 4,152 kWh, so an electric water heater varies by 2,947 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 — 38% of homes here, against 47% nationally.
That makes an electric water heater about 32% of the electricity a Minnesota home uses. The remaining 6,310 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.
By provider
On each Minnesota provider's cheapest plan: Northern States Power Co - Minnesota (North Dakota), $262.45; Northern States Power Co - Minnesota (South Dakota), $324.49; Northern States Power Co - Minnesota, $452.56.
Northern States Power Co - Minnesota charges $190.11 a year more than Northern States Power Co - Minnesota (North Dakota) on Residential Time of Day Service (D02/D04) Standard for the same 3,021 kWh.
Light and heavy use of an electric water heater
A household in the lighter quarter runs an electric water heater for 1,206 kWh a year and pays $104.71 on the cheapest plan. One in the heavier quarter runs it for 4,152 kWh and pays $360.66 — $255.95 more for an electric water heater on the same tariff.
Limits
A 2020 survey average for Minnesota, not a measurement of any one home, priced against the 24 Minnesota 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 44.9778, -93.2650.