Matt Ferrell is one of the most trusted voices in energy and home tech, with nearly two million subscribers on his Undecided YouTube channel. He recently visited Cala’s HQ to learn more about how heat pump water heaters (HPWHs) are transforming the water heating and home electrification industries, and how Cala is leading the way in what a HPWH can and should do.

The video is linked below this post, and here’s a quick summary of why it matters. 

The problem with today’s HPWHs:

Most HPWHs already afford a significant upgrade over traditional electric or gas systems, with 3–5x the efficiency. However, as Matt points out, even the newest models are surprisingly limited.

1. They heat reactively when the tank temperature drops, but don’t adapt to your home’s usage patterns.
2. They don’t coordinate with your electricity rates, home solar, or battery.
3. They lack key hardware like a variable speed compressor, mixing valve, and flow sensor to turn your water heater into a thermal battery. 

And that’s the key issue - a standard HPWH is an isolated device within the home. It can’t learn, adapt, or coordinate to take full advantage of what a HPWH is capable of.

What makes Cala different

Matt toured our Wilmington, MA facility and dug into the core of what makes Cala different: predictive controls combined with advanced hardware.

1. Cala learns your home’s hot water rhythms so it can prepare ample hot water ahead of peak demand.
2. Cala coordinates with your electricity rates, home solar, and/or battery to save you money and reduce your carbon footprint - all without confusing manual programming.
3. Cala combines advanced hardware and controls to optimize heating for your unique home. 

It’s a major shift from today’s reactive systems and is why Cala is helping lead the way to drive the industry transition towards HPWHs.

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The numbers

Matt walks through the economics in detail, including a California Energy Commission study showing that intelligent scheduling can reduce costs by an additional 15–19% on time-of-use plans — on top of the 70–80% savings you already get from switching to a heat pump water heater.

He also spends time on the “thermal battery” concept: because water heaters are well-insulated, they’re an enormously effective form of energy storage. So Cala can heat when electricity is cheap or the solar is abundant, then store that hot water for when it’s needed later. It just makes sense.

Watch the full video

Don’t just take our word for it - Matt asks the right questions including the skeptical ones like: is “intelligent” just a label? Is the premium worth it?

Watch the full 24-minute video and decide for yourself:
“Why Your Water Heater Should Be a Battery” — Undecided with Matt Ferrell

Questions? We’re here. You can get in touch or find a Cala Pro contractor.