What an electric water heater costs to run in New Jersey
New Jersey homes use 2,192 kWh a year on an electric water heater. Priced on top of the rest of the bill, that costs $151.06 to $595.52 a year across 10 published New Jersey plans — a $444.46 gap. Checked September 2, 2026.
Every priced plan, average
| Plan | Per year | vs cheapest | Effective |
|---|---|---|---|
| WHS - Water Heating Storage Serviceflat rate · needs electric heating | $48.84 | −$102.22 | 2.4¢ |
| RHS - Residential Heating Servicetime-of-use · tiered · needs electric heating | $144.88 | −$6.18 | 7.9¢ |
| RS-TOU-3P - Residential TOU 3 Period Service✓ cheapesttime-of-use | $151.06 | — | 7.8¢ |
| RS - Residential Servicetime-of-use · tiered | $158.80 | +$7.74 | 8.1¢ |
| RLM - Residential Load Management (TOU)time-of-use | $187.91 | +$36.85 | 10.6¢ |
| WHS - Water Heating Storage Serviceflat rate · needs electric heating | $207.84 | +$56.78 | 9.6¢ |
| RLM - Residential Load Management (TOU)time-of-use | $456.19 | +$305.13 | 22.8¢ |
| RHS - Residential Heating Servicetime-of-use · tiered · needs electric heating | $464.72 | +$313.66 | 22.3¢ |
| RS-TOU-3P - Residential TOU 3 Period Servicetime-of-use | $560.40 | +$409.34 | 26.4¢ |
| RS - Residential Servicetime-of-use · tiered | $595.52 | +$444.46 | 27.9¢ |
Cost across usage levels
The cheapest plan at each consumption level, showing whether the ranking holds as usage changes.
- Lighter use — cheapest $72.96 (RS-TOU-3P - Residential TOU 3 Period Service), dearest $285.24, a $212.28 spread
- Average — cheapest $151.06 (RS-TOU-3P - Residential TOU 3 Period Service), dearest $595.52, a $444.46 spread
- Heavier use — cheapest $182.31 (RS-TOU-3P - Residential TOU 3 Period Service), dearest $719.88, a $537.57 spread
What an electric water heater costs here
Across 10 plans priced in New Jersey, an electric water heater adds $151.06 to $595.52 a year — $12.59 to $49.63 a month. The median plan puts an electric water heater at $322.05 a year.
Cheapest for an electric water heater: RS-TOU-3P - Residential TOU 3 Period Service, Public Service Elec & Gas Co. Dearest: RS - Residential Service, Public Service Elec & Gas Co.
Those 2,192 kWh are billed at 6.9¢–27.2¢, against a 16.7¢ 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 10.5¢ per kWh.
What New Jersey homes use
EIA's 2020 residential survey found 2,192 kWh a year across 110 sampled homes that run one, 19% under the national 2,706 kWh. The middle half spans 1,059 kWh to 2,646 kWh, so an electric water heater varies by 1,587 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 — 26% of homes here, against 47% nationally.
That makes an electric water heater about 26% of the electricity a New Jersey home uses. The remaining 6,113 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 1,059 kWh a year and pays $72.96 on the cheapest plan. One in the heavier quarter runs it for 2,646 kWh and pays $182.31 — $109.35 more for an electric water heater on the same tariff.
Limits
A 2020 survey average for New Jersey, not a measurement of any one home, priced against the 10 New Jersey 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 40.7357, -74.1724.