DoesTheMath

Noritz ME120HPT vs VAUGHN THERMAL MP120FHPT: which uses less energy?

At the high draw pattern the VAUGHN THERMAL MP120FHPT uses 1,417 kWh a year and the Noritz ME120HPT 1,468 — 50 kWh (3%) less, about 503 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
Noritz ME120HPT VAUGHN THERMAL MP120FHPT
UEF (Uniform Energy Factor) 3.38 3.5 (better)
Energy use per year (kWh) 1,468 1,417 (better)
First hour rating (gal) 105 115
Rated storage volume (gal) 109 119
Installed cost range not published not published
ENERGY STAR certified yes yes
Sound level (dB) 54 54
Refrigerant R-134a, GWP 1430 R-134a, GWP 1430
On the market since 2024-07-01 2025-06-01
DOE CCD · 2026-09-19

What it costs to run

Noritz ME120HPT: 1,468 kWh a year VAUGHN THERMAL MP120FHPT: 1,417 kWh a year

Noritz ME120HPT — 1,468 kWh a year VAUGHN THERMAL MP120FHPT — 1,417 kWh a year

VAUGHN THERMAL MP120FHPT is 51 kWh a year lower than Noritz ME120HPT.

DOE CCD · 2026-09-19

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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 Noritz ME120HPT since 2024-07-01, the VAUGHN THERMAL MP120FHPT since 2025-06-01. A sale date, not a lifespan.

Which should you pick?

  • Pick the VAUGHN THERMAL MP120FHPT if running cost matters most: it uses 50 kWh less a year on the same test.
  • Pick the Noritz 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 MP120FHPT.
  • Neither if your household's busiest hour needs more than 115 gallons of hot water — neither lists more.

Each model on its own

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