The short answer: a gas geyser is cheaper to run when your gas supply is reliable, and an electric geyser is more dependable when it isn't. In most Pakistani cities, winter gas pressure is exactly the problem, which is why many families now choose an electric or a gas and electric hybrid model.
Below we compare both on cost, speed, safety and installation, and work through the real running-cost numbers so you can decide for your own house. You can compare every model side by side in our geyser collection.
How each one works
A gas geyser burns natural gas (Sui gas) or LPG to heat water. Most gas geysers sold today are instant models: no tank, the burner lights when water flows, and hot water arrives in seconds. Larger gas and hybrid models heat a storage tank instead. See our gas geysers collection.
An electric geyser heats a storage tank with an element controlled by a thermostat. Once the tank is hot, it holds the temperature until you use it. See our electric geysers collection.
Gas vs electric geyser at a glance
| Gas geyser | Electric geyser | |
|---|---|---|
| Purchase price | From Rs 12,999 (6L instant) | From Rs 22,900 (15 to 30L) |
| Running cost | Low on Sui gas, moderate on LPG | High once your bill passes 200 to 300 units |
| Heating speed | Instant | 30 minutes to 3+ hours for a full tank |
| Hot water supply | Unlimited while gas lasts | Limited to the tank, then a reheat |
| Winter reliability | Drops with gas pressure | Steady, but stops in power load shedding |
| Installation | Needs a gas line or cylinder and ventilation | Needs only a wall, water line and earthed socket |
| Safety risk | Carbon monoxide if badly ventilated | Electric shock if not earthed |
Running cost: the numbers
Whatever the fuel, heating water takes a fixed amount of energy: about 1.16 watt-hours to raise one litre by 1°C. In a Punjab winter, tap water arrives at roughly 10 to 15°C and a comfortable shower is about 40°C.
That means a 10 minute shower at around 7 litres per minute needs about 2.3 units (kWh) of heat. A bucket bath of about 25 litres needs about 0.8 units. The fuel only decides what those units cost you.
Electric geyser cost
An electric element turns almost all of its electricity into heat, so one shower uses roughly 2.3 units from your meter. A storage tank also loses some heat while it waits, typically around half a unit to a unit a day depending on insulation and thermostat setting.
For a family of four, that works out to roughly 120 units a month with bucket baths and up to around 300 units a month with daily showers. The cost depends on which slab those extra units land in. Under NEPRA's 2026 base tariff, non-protected domestic consumers pay Rs 33.10 per unit for 201 to 300 units and Rs 37.99 for 301 to 400 units, before fuel adjustments and taxes. So every 100 extra geyser units in the 301 to 400 slab adds about Rs 3,800 in energy charges alone.
If your winter bill is already near 200 units without a geyser, an electric model can push you two slabs higher. Our guide to geyser electricity consumption shows how to estimate and cut it.
LPG geyser cost
One kilogram of LPG holds about 12.8 kWh of energy, and an instant geyser turns roughly 80% of it into hot water. That is about 10 units of heat per kilogram.
So one 10 minute shower uses about 0.22 kg of LPG. A family of four showering daily would use around 0.9 kg a day, and a domestic 11.8 kg cylinder would last about two weeks. With bucket baths, the same cylinder lasts about a month. Multiply by this month's OGRA-notified LPG price to get your cost.
Natural gas (Sui gas) cost
On pipeline gas, an instant geyser is usually the cheapest way to heat water in Pakistan, because it burns gas only while the tap runs and has no tank losing heat overnight. Gas bills are also slab-based, so heavy winter use still raises the rate you pay.
The winter gas problem
The catch with gas geysers is supply. Researchers at LUMS have estimated that water heating can consume around half of the gas supplied to homes in winter, which is exactly when pressure drops. Many households in Punjab and Karachi see weak or no gas during morning peak hours.
An instant gas geyser needs a steady flame to keep water hot. When pressure falls, you get lukewarm water or a geyser that won't light. If this happens in your area every winter, a gas geyser alone is a gamble.
That is where hybrid gas and electric geysers come in. They heat a large tank on gas when supply is good and switch to electricity when it isn't. Models like the Bold 35GTWIN-HD-AI, Bold 55GTWIN-HD-AI and Super Asia GEH-755 AI add auto ignition, so there is no pilot to light by hand. Browse them in our electric and gas geysers collection.
Safety: gas vs electric
Gas geysers produce exhaust gases, including carbon monoxide if the burner lacks oxygen. Carbon monoxide has no smell or colour, and gas geysers fitted inside closed, unventilated bathrooms have caused deaths in Pakistan and across South Asia. A gas geyser should always be installed with a flue or outside the bathroom, never run with the bathroom door and window shut, and serviced every season.
Electric geysers have no exhaust, which makes them the safer choice for apartments and small bathrooms. The key requirements are a proper earth connection, a working thermostat and a pressure relief valve.
Which should you buy?
Choose a gas geyser if you have strong Sui gas pressure all winter, or you are happy running on LPG cylinders, and the geyser can be installed in a ventilated spot. Good picks: Canon 12L 24DD-NG, Bold 12L BO2012-LPG, or the budget IZONE 8L dual LPG.
Choose an electric geyser if your gas supply is unreliable, you live in an apartment, or the geyser has to go inside the bathroom. Good picks: Signature WH50R, Super Asia EH-650 Plus, or the Midea D50-20EFG.
Choose a hybrid if you have a large family or several bathrooms and want hot water no matter which supply fails.
Not sure whether you need a tank or a tankless model? Read instant geyser vs storage geyser. Deciding between a Sui gas and a cylinder model? See LPG vs natural gas geyser. For every type and size in one place, start with our geyser buying guide.
Frequently asked questions
Is a gas geyser cheaper than an electric geyser?
To run, yes, on pipeline gas. An electric geyser can add roughly Rs 4,000 to Rs 12,000 to a winter bill, before taxes, depending on your slab and bathing habits. To buy, gas geysers are also cheaper, starting around Rs 13,000.
Which is safer, a gas or electric geyser?
An electric geyser, because it produces no exhaust. A gas geyser is safe when installed with proper ventilation, but it should never run in a closed bathroom.
Can an electric geyser work during load shedding?
It stops heating during a power cut, but a well-insulated tank keeps water hot for several hours. Heating the tank before scheduled load shedding helps.
Can a gas geyser work on an LPG cylinder?
Only if it is an LPG model. Natural gas and LPG geysers use different burner jets. Check the model code: we list NG and LPG versions separately, such as the Canon 10L 20DD-NG and 20DD-LPG.
