DoesTheMath

BRADFORD WHITE RG250T*N vs Rheem PROG50-34U RH EC1: which uses less energy?

At the high draw pattern the BRADFORD WHITE RG250T*N and the Rheem PROG50-34U RH EC1 use the same energy, 269 therms a year each, on the same federal test. Both are filed as a gas tank, so the comparison holds; what separates them is below. Enter your ZIP to price either one on your own rate.

Side by side

Compared within one class only: models filed as a gas tank at the high draw pattern.

Filed and computed figures
BRADFORD WHITE RG250T*N Rheem PROG50-34U RH EC1
UEF (Uniform Energy Factor) 0.63 0.63
Energy use per year (therms) 269 269
First hour rating (gal) 81 80
Rated storage volume (gal) 48 48
Installed cost range $1,732–$2,981 $1,732–$2,981
ENERGY STAR certified not matched not matched
DOE CCD · 2026-09-19

What it costs to run

Enter your ZIP to price both units on the same rate where you live.

Reliability

Not published: Reliability, failure rates and each model’s actual warranty term.

The registries these figures come from certify energy performance under a federal test; none of them records how long a unit lasts or how often it fails, so this page does not rank the two on reliability.

What is here instead:

  • The filed efficiency, capacity and tank size of both models, side by side below.
  • The actual warranty term is printed in each model’s documentation, not in any registry.

Which should you pick?

  • Pick the BRADFORD WHITE RG250T*N if its price or availability suits you — on energy the two are level.
  • Pick the Rheem PROG50-34U RH EC1 if it is the one you can get installed sooner or for less — on the filed figures it has no advantage over the BRADFORD WHITE RG250T*N.
  • Neither if your household's busiest hour needs more than 81 gallons of hot water — neither lists more. Check whether a 50-gallon heater is enough.

Each model on its own

Other comparisons

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