A. O. Smith HPTU-50CTA 1 Running Cost (Electric Water…
Running cost for the A. O. Smith HPTU-50CTA 1
At 902 kWh/yr, the A. O. Smith HPTU-50CTA 1's ENERGY STAR certification puts it cheaper than most models in its category to run against every other certified electric water heater.
That $170 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 18.4% less, ranking 159 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 $38/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 HPTU-50CTA 1: A. O. Smith HPTA-40 2 ($170/yr, 902 kWh/yr), then A. O. Smith HPTU-50DR 1 ($170/yr, 902 kWh/yr).
Within the A. O. Smith lineup
Ranked 12 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 HPTU-50CTA 1 over 11 years
NAHB's Study of Life Expectancy of Home Components puts a typical electric water heater's service life at 11 years; run the A. O. Smith HPTU-50CTA 1 that long and it costs about $1,865 in electricity, on top of whatever it cost to buy.
Is it worth replacing?
Efficient as certified electric water heaters go, $170/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
$170/year to run is the predictable cost of the A. O. Smith HPTU-50CTA 1; a protection plan covers the unpredictable one, a repair bill.
Where this number comes from
Nothing here is estimated from a nameplate wattage; the 902 kWh/yr is ENERGY STAR's own certified figure for this model. At rank 159 of 596 for running cost, see the electric water heater category page for the rest of the field, or the guide to how much your state matters.