Pool Pump Electricity Cost Calculator
Enter the pump's watts and daily run hours, pick your state, and see the cost per day, month and season.
Pool pump cost
A07Scenario A
Sets the electricity rate. Pick US average if you're not sure.
From EIA for US average. Use the rate on your bill if you know it.
Rate used: 18.4¢/kWh · US average · EIA reference 2025–26 (data as of 2026-09-26) ·
A 1.5 HP single-speed pump draws about 1,600 W. A variable-speed pump at low speed draws about 300–400 W.
Estimated cost per month
Cost by month, in season only
The yearly cost spread across the months using a typical cooling degree-day pattern from NOAA 1991–2020 normals. Months outside the season show $0.
Per year assumes the same use every day. For seasonal appliances, see the monthly curve.
Estimate. Formula and sources are under “How it works”. Change any input; the result updates as you type.
Formula
How it works
- kWh per day = watts ÷ 1,000 × hours per day
- Cost per hour = watts ÷ 1,000 × rate
- Cost per month = kWh per day × days × rate
- Cost by month = yearly cost × that month's share of cooling degree-days
A single-speed 1.5 HP pump draws about 1,600 W every hour it runs. A variable-speed pump at about 1,500 rpm draws 300–400 W, so switching and running it 12 hours at low speed typically cuts the pump's cost by 60–80%. Outside the South, the swimming season runs roughly May to September; the monthly curve follows the cooling season.
Sources: EIA Electric Power Monthly table 5.6.A (rate); NOAA CPC degree-day normals 1991–2020 (monthly pattern).
Worked example
A worked example
A 1,600 W single-speed pump running 8 hours a day uses 12.80 kWh a day. At the Texas rate of 15.5¢/kWh that's $0.25 an hour, $1.98 a day and $61.50 for a 31-day month. Across the season, the estimate peaks at $188.28 in July and $173.80 in August, and is $0.00 from November through February.
Reference
Reference table
Pool pump cost per month at 18.4¢/kWh (US average), 30 days
| 6 h | 8 h | 12 h | 24 h | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single-speed 1,600 W | $52.99 | $70.66 | $105.98 | $211.97 |
| Variable-speed 400 W | $13.25 | $17.66 | $26.50 | $52.99 |
| Variable-speed 300 W | $9.94 | $13.25 | $19.87 | $39.74 |
Questions
FAQ
Single-speed vs variable-speed pool pump: what's the cost difference?
At the US average rate of 18.4¢/kWh, a 1,600 W single-speed pump running 8 hours costs an estimated $70.66 a month. A variable-speed pump at 400 W running 12 hours costs about $26.50, roughly 60% less. At 300 W the gap is wider. Put both in Compare mode.
How many hours a day should a pool pump run?
It depends on the pool's volume and the pump's flow rate, so check with the pump maker or your pool pro. The calculator's 8-hour default reflects a typical single-speed schedule; variable-speed pumps run longer at lower power.
Does a pool pump cost more in Florida or Arizona?
At our reference rates both states are at 15.0¢/kWh, so the same pump for the same hours costs the same per month: an estimated $57.60 for 1,600 W × 8 hours × 30 days. The difference is the season. In both states pools run more months of the year than in the North. Pick your state to use its latest rate.
Why is my pool pump showing $0 in winter?
The monthly curve assumes the pump runs only in the cooling season. If yours runs all year, use the "per year (constant use)" figure instead.
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