If you want to save money on your heating bills, it is a good idea to change out your old hot water heater for a new energy smart Natural gas water heater. There are many reasons people who are using public utilities that are saving money on their electricity bills by simply switching to natural gas. If you have this option in your area, switching over to natural gas should be something to look into. If you are living in a more rural setting, where natural gas isn’t widely available then you should be able to find a propane outlet.

If you are living on the grid, switching to a natural gas water heater can save you money in many ways. The first way they can save money is on installation. While they won’t actually install the heater itself, many gas and propane companies provide fully hook ups and lines for free to new customers. For propane companies, often this will also include delivery and set up of the tank, which can be buried underground so it won’t be an eyesore on your property.

Now natural gas water heaters can be considered better than electrical versions because they heat the water up faster, and hotter because their heating element is a direct fire unit rather than electrical. If you are thinking about switching over to a tankless water heater, then natural gas is a better idea because the heat rise rate is much higher than going electrical. Basically what a heat rise rating is, is how faster the water heats up, in relation to how many gallons per minute are being used. The higher the rise, the quicker the water heats up, regardless if it has a tank or not.

There are many different brands of natural gas water heaters, for both tank and tankless models. The real differences between a tank heater and one that doesn’t have one is that it takes time for a tank to heat up, and then it is constantly using energy to keep all that water hot. Usually, depending on the tank size, you can’t place a tank heater near the need is. With an inline model, because you take away the conventional tank, you don’t have to worry about using energy all the time, only when the unit is in use. It also can be placed much closer to its application, like under a kitchen sink for doing dishes and the like.

Again, it’s not a matter of how much hot water you have at a time, but how fast the water gets hot. If you are using an inline heater, then you should combine this with low flow faucets, shower heads and aerators for dish and clothes washers. Because these cut down on water flow, it allows for a much higher rating, and for the most part, you don’t even see the difference, until you look at you power bill.

You can find natural gas water heaters in both styles, online, as well as many local home improvement outlets. Kenmore is among the top models that have water tanks, and Bosch is among the top tankless brands. You can find many of these well below $1000, depending on where you look.