How much does it cost to run a pool pump?

A 1,500-watt single-speed pump running 8 hours a day costs about $2 a day at the U.S. average rate — roughly $60 a month, or several hundred dollars over a swim season. In high-rate states it can exceed $100 a month.

Do variable-speed pool pumps really save money?

Substantially, yes. Variable-speed pumps run longer but at much lower wattage, and because power use rises steeply with speed, running slower for more hours can cut pump energy costs by 50–70%. The upgrade often pays for itself within a couple of seasons.

How many hours a day should I run my pool pump?

Most pools only need enough circulation to turn over the water once or twice a day, which is often fewer hours than people assume. Running the pump 6–8 hours (or longer at low speed on a variable pump) is usually sufficient — cutting an unnecessary few hours a day directly lowers the cost this calculator shows.

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Homeowner tools

Pool Pump Electricity Cost Calculator

A pool pump is one of the most overlooked electricity hogs in any home that has one — often the second-largest energy user after heating and cooling. A typical single-speed pump draws about 1,500 watts and, because many owners run them 8 hours a day or more, the annual cost adds up fast. This calculator shows what your pump costs per day, month, and swim season, and makes it easy to see the savings from shorter run times or a variable-speed upgrade.

Appliance

Wattage(W)

Quantity

Usage measured in

Usage

Duty cycle (share of time actually drawing power) 100%

State (auto-fills rate)

kWh / day

12.00kWh

watts × hours × duty ÷ 1000

Cost / month

$61.20

at your state rate

Cost / year

$745

this appliance

Results update live as you type. For planning and field-check estimates — always verify against applicable standards and equipment ratings.

How we calculate this →

Build a whole-home estimate item by item.

The biggest savings opportunity most pool owners miss

A single-speed 1.5 HP pool pump running 8 hours a day uses about 12 kWh per day — roughly $61/month at U.S. average rates, and over $700/year. Because single-speed motors run at full load regardless of demand, they are inherently wasteful: filtration only needs a fraction of that flow rate.

Variable-speed pumps (VSPs) solve this directly. Running the same pump at 50% speed uses only 12.5% of the power (motor physics: power scales with the cube of speed). A VSP running 12 hours at low speed can accomplish the same turnover as a single-speed running 6 hours at full speed, while using 50–75% less electricity. Most VSP upgrades pay back within 1–3 years in warm climates where the pool runs year-round.

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