Need a new water heater? Which type is best? Should you purchase gas or electric? Today you'll learn which is most economical to operate. Natural gas fuels over 50% of all water heaters; electricity heats most of the rest (about 45 percent). Propane, fuel oil, kerosene, wood flame and solar heat the rest, but all of them together equal less than 5 percent of sales. If natural gas is available, it's your best bet. It's cheaper to operate and heats a tankful of water faster. When electricity is your only option, be prepared to spend more for hot water. By comparison, natural gas costs only $6.05 per million BTUs of heat produced, while electricity costs a whopping $24.15! That's four times the operating expense. Today, some with electric water heaters can still take advantage of natural gas economy with special gas-fired heat element conversions. So what's best for you and your house? Economical operation is the answer!