A. O. Smith HPTU-50DR 1 Running Cost (Electric Water Heater)
A. O. Smith HPTU-50DR 1: running cost
ENERGY STAR certifies the A. O. Smith HPTU-50DR 1 at 902 kWh/yr, cheaper than most models in its category to run for its category.
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 160 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-50DR 1: A. O. Smith HPTU-50CTA 1 ($170/yr, 902 kWh/yr), then A. O. Smith HPTU-50N 1 ($170/yr, 902 kWh/yr).
Same brand, different models
Ranked 13 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-50DR 1 over 11 years
11 years is NAHB's typical service life for this category; at $170/year, the A. O. Smith HPTU-50DR 1 adds up to about $1,865 in electricity over that span.
Shopping for a new one
Efficient as certified electric water heaters go, $170/year is a reasonable baseline if you're comparing what else is on the market.
Worth comparing a few current certified models before deciding.
If you're keeping it
A electric water heater like the A. O. Smith HPTU-50DR 1 is a real household expense whether or not it needs replacing yet; a protection plan is one way to budget for a repair rather than a full replacement.
Where this number comes from
Two sourced numbers, nothing modeled: ENERGY STAR's certified kWh/yr for this exact model, and EIA's published state electricity rate. 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.