Solarpunk technology

This really isn't a sign of progress. Resistive electric water heaters have long been preferred by cheap, shitty apartment managers because they are cheaper to install/maintain. The expense of operating these (significantly higher than their natural gas alternatives) is handled by the tenant, so that's someone else's problem. An increase in low-quality housing, which almost always has terrible insulation, is not a good thing for the world on any level.

If these were heat pump water heaters I would have a different opinion, but the article clearly states the data does not distinguish.