DoesTheMath

HUBBELL ME120HPT vs VAUGHN THERMAL MP120F-RC: which uses less energy?

At the high draw pattern the VAUGHN THERMAL MP120F-RC uses 1,323 kWh a year and the HUBBELL ME120HPT 1,468 — 145 kWh (10%) less, about 1,448 kWh over ten years. Both are filed as an electric tank, so the comparison holds. Enter your ZIP below to price the difference.

Side by side

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

Filed and computed figures
HUBBELL ME120HPT VAUGHN THERMAL MP120F-RC
UEF (Uniform Energy Factor) 3.38 3.75 (better)
Energy use per year (kWh) 1,468 1,323 (better)
First hour rating (gal) 105 121
Rated storage volume (gal) 109 119
Installed cost range not published not published
ENERGY STAR certified yes yes
Sound level (dB) 54 37 (better)
Refrigerant R-134a, GWP 1430 R-744 (CO2), GWP 1
On the market since 2023-09-01 2026-06-01
DOE CCD · 2026-09-19

What it costs to run

HUBBELL ME120HPT: 1,468 kWh a year VAUGHN THERMAL MP120F-RC: 1,323 kWh a year

HUBBELL ME120HPT — 1,468 kWh a year VAUGHN THERMAL MP120F-RC — 1,323 kWh a year

VAUGHN THERMAL MP120F-RC is 145 kWh a year lower than HUBBELL ME120HPT.

DOE CCD · 2026-09-19

Report an issue with this number

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.
  • Both are ENERGY STAR certified, which requires a manufacturer warranty of at least six years; the actual term for each model is not published.
  • Time on the market, as filed with ENERGY STAR: the HUBBELL ME120HPT since 2023-09-01, the VAUGHN THERMAL MP120F-RC since 2026-06-01. A sale date, not a lifespan.

Which should you pick?

  • Pick the VAUGHN THERMAL MP120F-RC if running cost matters most: it uses 145 kWh less a year on the same test.
  • Pick the HUBBELL ME120HPT if it is the one you can get installed sooner or for less — on the filed figures it has no advantage over the VAUGHN THERMAL MP120F-RC.
  • Neither if your household's busiest hour needs more than 121 gallons of hot water — neither lists more.

Each model on its own

Analytics cookies

We count page views without cookies for everyone, and that counter is what we use to decide what to build. Google Analytics is separate: it uses cookies to record how a page was used, and it loads only if you allow it. Decline and the site works exactly the same. What we collect.