The electric geyser is often one of the biggest energy users in a South African home. That’s why more North Coast homeowners are looking at gas. Here’s an honest comparison.
How each one works
A traditional electric geyser heats a tank of water and keeps it hot all day, which means it loses heat and uses power even when nobody is using hot water.
A gas geyser (instantaneous water heater) has no tank. It lights a burner when you open a hot tap and heats the water as it flows through.
Side-by-side comparison
| Gas geyser | Electric geyser | |
|---|---|---|
| During power outages | Keeps working (battery or flow ignition) | No new heating |
| Standing heat loss | None, because there is no tank | Loses heat throughout the day |
| Hot water supply | Continuous while the tap is open | Limited to the tank size |
| Installation | Needs cylinders, a gas line and a CoC | Usually already installed |
| Ongoing cost | LPG refills | Electricity |
Running costs
Which one is cheaper depends on your household’s hot-water use, local electricity tariffs and the current LPG price, and both change over time. Households that use a lot of hot water in short bursts, such as morning showers, often benefit most from gas because no energy is spent keeping a tank hot.
Tip: Keep your electric geyser as a backup. Many homeowners switch it off and use the gas geyser day to day, with the option to switch back.
Things to consider before switching
- Water pressure: gas geysers need a minimum water flow to ignite. Very low pressure may need to be addressed first.
- Cylinder space: you’ll need a compliant outdoor spot for the cylinders.
- Size: an undersized unit can’t keep up if two showers run at once.
- Complex rules: check your body corporate or HOA rules if you live in an estate.
Our view
For most North Coast homes, a correctly sized gas geyser gives reliable hot water through outages and cuts out the waste of heating a tank all day.
If you’d like to find out whether it suits your home, see our gas geyser installation service or send us a WhatsApp with a photo of where your geyser is now.