Electricity cost · pool pump

Cost to run a pool pump

A 1,100 W pool pump used about 8 hours a day costs roughly $1.67 per day, $25.08 a month, or $300.96 a year at the $0.19/kWh US average rate — and uses about 8.8 kWh a day. These are indicative figures; adjust the wattage, hours, and your $/kWh below for your own home.

Typical wattages & rates indicative, as of — use your bill's $/kWh

Pool pump: the short answer

Running a typical 1,100 W pool pump about 8 hours a day costs roughly $1.67 a day, $25.08 a month, and $300.96 a year at the $0.19/kWh US average — about 8.8 kWh a day. A single-speed pool pump around 1,100 W running many hours a day in season is a surprisingly large load; variable-speed pumps cut this sharply.

Make it your own

These are indicative figures, not a bill. Your real cost depends on the unit's actual wattage, how long you run it, and your local rate. Enter your own watts and the $/kWh from your bill in the calculator above for an accurate estimate. Cycling appliances don't run at full power continuously.

Indicative: typical 1,100 W × 8 h/day at the $0.19/kWh US residential benchmark published for 2026-04. Appliance preset reviewed 2026-06. Use your bill for accuracy.

Pool pump cost scenarios

A single default cannot represent every home. These three profiles keep the same $0.19/kWh planning rate while changing the usage pattern that matters for this appliance.

Indicative operating profiles for a pool pump
Profile Assumption Average month Annual cost Annual energy
Short filtration schedule Seasonal operation with shorter daily runtime 900 W × 4 h/day × 180 days/year $10.26 $123.12 648 kWh
Single-speed baseline Representative seasonal schedule 1,100 W × 8 h/day × 180 days/year $25.08 $300.96 1,584 kWh
Long warm-weather season Larger pump and extended operation 1,500 W × 12 h/day × 240 days/year $68.40 $820.80 4,320 kWh

Get a better input than the default

Read electrical input from the pump label or controller and record the actual schedule. Variable-speed pumps need a measured or displayed average because power changes sharply with speed.

Decision this estimate can support

Use the annual cost as a baseline for schedule changes or a variable-speed upgrade. The pool still needs adequate turnover and sanitation, so energy savings should be evaluated with a pool professional rather than by cutting hours blindly.

FAQ

How much does it cost to run a pool pump?

Indicatively, a typical 1,100 W pool pump run about 8 hours a day costs roughly $1.67 per day, $25.08 per month, and $300.96 per year at the US-average rate of $0.19/kWh, using about 8.8 kWh a day (1584 kWh a year). A single-speed pool pump around 1,100 W running many hours a day in season is a surprisingly large load; variable-speed pumps cut this sharply. These are indicative figures — your real cost depends on the unit's actual wattage, how long you run it, and your own electricity rate.

How much electricity does a pool pump use?

At a typical 1,100 W and 8 hours of use a day, it draws about 8.8 kWh per day — roughly 1584 kWh over a year on the default schedule. Often seasonal; defaulted to ~180 days. Variable-speed pumps use much less. Multiply the kWh by your own $/kWh to get your cost.

How can I lower this cost?

The two levers are running it less (fewer hours or, for seasonal items, fewer days) and paying less per kWh. Using the appliance during off-peak hours can help if you're on a time-of-use plan, and a more efficient model lowers the wattage. The single most accurate thing you can do is enter your real wattage and your bill's $/kWh in the calculator above.

Sources & verification

Source links and page assumptions reviewed .

Indicative estimate only. The 1,100 W figure is a typical indicative value, not a spec for your specific pool pump, and $0.19/kWh is an indicative US average, not your tariff. Real cost varies widely by model, efficiency, usage, and your local rate and plan. For an accurate figure, use the wattage on your appliance and the $/kWh on your electricity bill. Appliance presets reviewed 2026-06; rate benchmark published for 2026-04.