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Change in water heating advances in renovations and residential projects, as gas, solar, and heat pump technologies compete with electric showers in homes seeking comfort, efficiency, and more predictable consumption.
Present in most Brazilian homes, the electric shower is still a practical solution, but it has started to share space with water heating systems focused on comfort, temperature control, and less pressure on the electrical installation.
In complete renovations and new residential projects, gas, heat pump, solar thermal energy, and hybrid models have gained relevance by reducing consumption concentration during shower times and making hot water use more efficient.
Although the change does not indicate an immediate replacement of the traditional shower, the search for planned alternatives for homes with more residents, simultaneous bathrooms, and greater demand for stability in the shower is growing in 2026.
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In this scenario, treating the hot shower as part of the home’s energy system is no longer a choice restricted to high-end properties and has become part of the calculation for comfort, economy, and property valuation.
Surveys by the Energy Research Company indicate that electricity is still the most used source in Brazilian homes for water heating, mainly because of the electric shower and its widespread presence in bathrooms.
The EPE itself also points out that in Brazil, the energy demand for heating water is strongly associated with bathing, a factor that helps explain the weight of this equipment in the domestic routine.
Hot shower enters home planning
Compared to centralized systems, the main difference of the electric shower is in the way the water is heated and the volume of energy required in just a few minutes of use.
In the traditional model, the resistance heats the water at the time of the shower, with high power concentrated precisely during periods of intense use within the home, which can increase consumption peaks.
In gas, solar, or heat pump systems, heating tends to occur in a more distributed, stored, or efficient manner, depending on the technology adopted and the sizing done for each property.
This change does not eliminate costs, but it alters the way energy is used and can reduce sudden temperature fluctuations, especially in homes with more than one hot water point in operation.
In gas flow heaters, the water heats up as it circulates through the equipment and can supply showers and faucets, provided the installation has been properly sized for the desired flow rate.
For families seeking a more stable shower, higher flow rate, and less dependence on multiple electric showers connected to different circuits, this type of solution is often among the most considered alternatives.
The installation, however, requires technical evaluation, as gas equipment depends on ventilation, exhaust, gas point, and compatibility with safety standards applicable to the residential environment.
Among these references is the ABNT NBR 13103, a standard that addresses requirements for gas appliances in residences and emphasizes the need for an adequate design before choosing the equipment.
Solar energy and heat pump expand alternatives
In houses with good sun exposure, available area for collectors, and space for a thermal reservoir, solar thermal heating emerges as a relevant option to reduce dependence on conventional electric heating.
In this configuration, water can be heated throughout the day and stored for later use, with electric or gas support when solar radiation is insufficient.
The system’s performance, however, depends on the design, the position of the panels, the family’s demand, and the quality of the installation, factors that directly influence comfort and efficiency.
It’s not enough to install collectors on the roof; the sizing needs to consider consumption, water volume, thermal losses, and the need for support on cloudy days or periods of more intense use.
Another technology that has gained visibility is the heat pump for water heating, a solution that uses electricity to transfer heat from the environment to the water, instead of generating heat directly by resistance.
By operating on this principle, the heat pump tends to deliver better energy efficiency compared to conventional electric systems, although the result varies according to climate, equipment, installation, and usage routine.
Academic studies on heat pumps applied to water heating indicate superior performance to the electric shower in different configurations, but the results depend on operating conditions.
Hybrid systems try to balance cost and comfort
In properties with higher demand, an increasingly considered solution is the hybrid system, capable of combining more than one heating source to adjust consumption, comfort, and availability of hot water.
The house can use solar energy as a base, a heat pump as efficient support, and gas or electricity at specific times, always according to the project defined by qualified professionals.
With this arrangement, the operation adapts better to the climate, schedule, and the volume of water consumed by the family, without relying exclusively on a single technology throughout the year.
Still, the promise of savings only holds when the system is well-sized, correctly installed, and operated according to the real usage profile of the residence.
For large families, the benefit usually appears more in the overall setup, with stability in the shower, serving more than one consumption point, and less need for high-power electric showers.
In residences with one person, little use of hot water, or a limited budget, on the other hand, the electric shower may continue to be the most rational choice due to its simplicity and low initial cost.
The necessary investment for implementation also weighs in the decision, as gas heaters, heat pumps, solar collectors, thermal reservoirs, specific piping, and qualified labor increase the cost of the change.
When the old house was not prepared for centralized hot water, the adaptation may require more extensive work, infrastructure review, and careful analysis before purchasing the equipment.
New properties lead the way
New residential projects have an advantage because the infrastructure can be planned from the beginning of the construction, with hot water piping, shafts, gas shelter, ventilation, technical space, and reservoirs defined in the blueprint.
With this preparation, the installation tends to be cleaner, safer, and less invasive, besides allowing the chosen system to work more efficiently from the first months of use.
In renovations, the challenge is usually greater, as breaking walls, adapting risers, creating gas points, installing reservoirs, and reviewing the electrical part can turn the shower replacement into a more complex intervention.
Even with these barriers, the search for energy efficiency and comfort has led builders, architects, engineers, and consumers to compare alternatives beyond the electric shower in projects of different profiles.
The bathroom, previously treated only as a consumption point, has become part of decisions about house performance, monthly cost, property valuation, and the ability to meet more demanding family routines.
EPE maintains databases and studies on electricity consumption in the country, including historical series by consumption class, which reinforces the importance of monitoring how residential choices impact national demand.
This context helps explain why more efficient heating systems have become part of the discussion about housing, household economy, and rational energy use.
In daily use, the change only makes sense when it combines the family’s profile, available infrastructure, local climate, installation cost, energy price, and maintenance.
For this reason, the electric shower does not disappear in 2026, but loses exclusivity in homes where comfort, predictability, and energy planning have become more important in the choice of hot showers.
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