A. O. SMITH HESF-50 1**
0.92 UEF DOE CCD · 2026-09-19Grade G: where this UEF sits among the 426 models in its class, lowest (G) to highest (A). A position, not an official label. How the grade is set
An electric tank, medium draw pattern (a typical three- or four-person household, about 55 gallons on a busy morning).
If you are verifying this model's energy figure: A. O. SMITH HESF-50 1** uses 3,531 kWh of electricity a year at the medium draw pattern, the standard daily hot-water usage DOE tests against. That equals its class median of 3,531 kWh, a difference of 0 kWh, among 426 electric tanks.
Energy use per year
3,531 kWh a year
Computed by this site from the registry's UEF and the federal test's daily hot-water draw for this draw pattern. What it costs depends on the electricity rate where you live.
That is equal to the median of 3,531 kWh for the 426 models registered in the same heater type and draw pattern; it ranks 213 of 426, lowest energy first.
Solid line: this model (3,531 kWh). Dashed line: the class median.
Min 773 kWh Median 3,531 kWh Max 3,569 kWh
What it costs to run where you live
What the registry files
- UEF (Uniform Energy Factor) how much hot water you get for each unit of energy the heater uses
- 0.92 DOE CCD · 2026-09-19 Compared only with other models registered as an electric tank at the medium draw pattern.
- Draw Pattern the standard daily usage profile DOE tests the unit against
- Medium DOE CCD · 2026-09-19
- First Hour Rating how many gallons of hot water the unit can deliver in one hour, starting from a full tank
- 67 gal DOE CCD · 2026-09-19
- Rated Storage Volume the tank size in gallons
- 46 gal DOE CCD · 2026-09-19
What it costs to install
$1,736–$2,053 installed
Not a quote — a modeled range of what installers have charged for this class of unit; your price will vary with labor rates, access, and local code requirements.
Escalation indexes: equipment (BLS PPI) latest available: August 2026; labor (BLS ECI) latest available: April 2026 to June 2026.
NLR REMDB (BLS PPI/ECI escalated) · 2026-04-01Safety record
No CPSC recall names this model.
Checked against the CPSC recall database. CPSC does not publish a model-level match for this product category, so this list is curated by hand from the manufacturer's recall filings.
CPSC · 2026-09-24What these figures mean
How this compares
The closest models in the same class — same fuel, type and draw pattern.
Keep going
How every figure on this page is calculated
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Find what replaces your water heater
Enter the model number off your old unit and see what is on file today, with the yearly cost difference.
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Find a water heater that fits
Three questions — fuel, hot water need, install space — narrow every model on file to the ones that fit.
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What a water heater costs to run
Prices a unit's efficiency against your own utility's filed tariff for your ZIP code.
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Is a 50-gallon water heater enough?
Answered from what models in this size actually file.
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Water heaters
Every model on file with the Department of Energy, by heater type.
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All electric resistance tank water heaters
Electric tanks that file a UEF below 2.0 — heated by elements, not a heat pump.
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Every A. O. SMITH model on file
What this brand files, by heater type.
UEF 0.92 · Grade G Price it on your ZIP
The figure of 3,531 kWh is calculated by this site, not published by the registry. It uses the registry's UEF, the ratio of hot water delivered to energy used, which is 0.92 for this model, together with the DOE test's daily hot-water draw for the medium draw pattern. The source is DOE CCD, retrieved 2026-09-19. The fuel is electricity. The number describes the federal test's daily draw, not use in a particular home. Actual use depends on the household's habits and installation conditions, and this page has no data on either.
This model ranks 213th lowest energy use of 426 models registered as an electric tank at the medium draw pattern. The class median is 3,531 kWh, so the difference is 0 kWh, and the model sits in the second-lowest quarter of its class. The medium draw pattern describes a typical three- or four-person household. The first hour rating, the gallons of hot water available in the first hour from a full tank, is 67 gallons, and the rated volume is 46 gallons. A household whose daily draw differs much from the test's cannot read 3,531 kWh as its own use. Figures for other draw patterns are not available here. To compare same-class units, try finding a replacement by model number or the selector by fuel, space and size.
No running cost is stated in this text, because it depends on your own utility electricity tariff. The same 3,531 kWh gives different results at different rates. The cost calculator on your own ZIP applies your rate to this figure, and the methodology page explains how the annual cost is calculated. The modeled installed-cost range for A. O. SMITH HESF-50 1** appears in its own block on this page, with its source and date. It is a modeled range, not a quote, and it is not repeated here. This page makes no assessment beyond the registry and DOE test figures shown.
DOE CCD · 2026-09-19