DoesTheMath

Noritz ME50HPT vs RELIANCE WATER HEATERS HPTU-50N 1**: which uses less energy?

At the medium draw pattern the Noritz ME50HPT uses 939 kWh a year and the RELIANCE WATER HEATERS HPTU-50N 1** 942 — 3 kWh (0%) less, about 27 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 medium draw pattern.

Filed and computed figures
Noritz ME50HPT RELIANCE WATER HEATERS HPTU-50N 1**
UEF (Uniform Energy Factor) 3.46 (better) 3.45
Energy use per year (kWh) 939 (better) 942
First hour rating (gal) 58 66
Rated storage volume (gal) 47 46
Installed cost range $3,056–$4,129 $3,022–$4,110
ENERGY STAR certified yes yes
Sound level (dB) 54 not filed
Refrigerant R-134a, GWP 1430 R-134a, GWP 1430
On the market since 2024-07-01 2019-04-05
DOE CCD · 2026-09-19

What it costs to run

Noritz ME50HPT: 939 kWh a year RELIANCE WATER HEATERS HPTU-50N 1**: 942 kWh a year

Noritz ME50HPT — 939 kWh a year RELIANCE WATER HEATERS HPTU-50N 1** — 942 kWh a year

Noritz ME50HPT is 3 kWh a year lower than RELIANCE WATER HEATERS HPTU-50N 1**.

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 ME50HPT since 2024-07-01, the RELIANCE WATER HEATERS HPTU-50N 1** since 2019-04-05. A sale date, not a lifespan.

Which should you pick?

  • Pick the Noritz ME50HPT if running cost matters most: it uses 3 kWh less a year on the same test.
  • Pick the RELIANCE WATER HEATERS HPTU-50N 1** if you need more hot water in your busiest hour: it lists a first hour rating of 66 gallons against 58.
  • Neither if your household's busiest hour needs more than 66 gallons of hot water — neither lists more. Check whether a 50-gallon heater is enough.

Each model on its own

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