Gas water heater shipments hit six-year low as electric holds up

U.S. shipments of both gas and electric residential storage water heaters fell six percent year-over-year over the first four months of 2026, as Homepros recently reported, based on the latest available AHRI data. 

But a six-year view tells a more nuanced story, particularly by product type. 

On gas: Roughly 1.44 million residential gas water heaters were shipped between January and April of this year, the lowest first-four-month total of the past six years, including 2020, per AHRI — they haven’t returned to their early-COVID levels. 

• Gas shipments during the first four months peaked in 2021 at around 1.63 million units, the only year over the period when they outsold electric water heaters.

On electric: Electric water heater shipments have held up better. While down from their 2024 peak of roughly 1.79 million units — which arrived three years after gas water heaters’ peak — they remain above their 2020 and 2021 levels.