Running cost for the A. O. Smith HPACO-45C 1**+AXST-50SC 1**
ENERGY STAR certifies the A. O. Smith HPACO-45C 1**+AXST-50SC 1** at 923 kWh/yr, cheaper than most models in its category to run for its category.
That $174 is priced at 18.8¢/kWh, the average of all 51 state rates this site tracks. Your own state's rate is one click away.
Efficient, or not, for a electric water heater
Against the category average of 1,105 kWh/yr, this model uses 16.5% less, ranking 209 of 596 electric water heaters tracked here for running cost. That average is drawn from all 596 electric water heaters ENERGY STAR currently certifies, not an outside number, a $34/year gap from this model at the national rate. Full sourcing is in the sourcing notes.
Right next to it on the list
A rank or two either side of the A. O. Smith HPACO-45C 1**+AXST-50SC 1**: A. O. Smith HPACO-45 1**+AXST-50TTTP 1** ($174/yr, 923 kWh/yr), then A. O. Smith HPACO-45C 1**+AXST-50SCTTP 1** ($174/yr, 923 kWh/yr).
Same brand, different models
Ranked 21 of A. O. Smith's 61 certified electric water heaters, this sits between the HPS10-50H45DV 2** ($156/yr, the brand's cheapest) and the HPV10-80H01DV 2** ($311/yr, its priciest).
A. O. Smith HPACO-45C 1**+AXST-50SC 1** over 11 years
Over the 11-year service life NAHB reports for this category, running the A. O. Smith HPACO-45C 1**+AXST-50SC 1** costs roughly $1,909 in electricity, separate from the purchase price.
Weighing a replacement
Efficient as certified electric water heaters go, $174/year is a reasonable baseline if you're comparing what else is on the market.
Compare current ENERGY STAR certified electric water heaters before buying.
If you're keeping it
At $174/year just to run, a electric water heater is worth protecting against an unplanned repair bill on top of that.
Where this number comes from
The full Electric Water Heater category page shows all 596 electric water heaters ranked by cost; the state-rate guide covers the half of this number that isn't the appliance. The 923 kWh/yr figure is ENERGY STAR's own certification, not a wattage estimate; exact dataset IDs are on the data sources page.