wrote in
:


Don't know where you live but I thought all new gas water heaters had
electronic ignition which eliminates pilot lights

No, very few water heaters have electronic ignition. It makes no sense to
eliminate the pilot, because the water has to be kept hot, and the pilot
helps (slightly). If there is no pilot, then the burner has to stay on
(slightly) longer in each burner cycle, so no energy is saved.

A boiler (for hot water radiators) is a different situation, because the
water can be allowed to cool down when there is no call for heat. With a
water heater, people expect hot water whenever they open their taps, so the
water has to be kept hot.