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How much does it cost to run a hot tub?
At the U.S. average residential price of 18.16¢ per kilowatt-hour (August 2026), running a hot tub costs about $454 a year. Your own bill depends on your state's rate, which ranges from 12.72¢ to 47.18¢ across the country.
- Per day
- $1.24
- Per month
- $37.83
- Per year
- $454
Assumption: 2,500 kWh a year. A well-insulated 400-gallon tub held at 100 F year-round in a moderate climate. A poorly insulated tub in a cold climate can double this.
Cost by state
Same appliance, same usage, 51 different prices. Sorted cheapest first.
| State | Rate | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nevada | 12.72¢ | $26.50 | $318 |
| Louisiana | 12.87¢ | $26.81 | $322 |
| North Dakota | 13.31¢ | $27.73 | $333 |
| Utah | 13.31¢ | $27.73 | $333 |
| Idaho | 13.37¢ | $27.85 | $334 |
| Tennessee | 13.42¢ | $27.96 | $335 |
| Nebraska | 13.54¢ | $28.21 | $338 |
| Kentucky | 13.80¢ | $28.75 | $345 |
| Arkansas | 14.37¢ | $29.94 | $359 |
| Mississippi | 14.43¢ | $30.06 | $361 |
| Wyoming | 14.43¢ | $30.06 | $361 |
| Washington | 14.63¢ | $30.48 | $366 |
| Oklahoma | 14.82¢ | $30.88 | $370 |
| North Carolina | 14.95¢ | $31.15 | $374 |
| Florida | 14.99¢ | $31.23 | $375 |
| Arizona | 15.05¢ | $31.35 | $376 |
| South Dakota | 15.15¢ | $31.56 | $379 |
| Kansas | 15.47¢ | $32.23 | $387 |
| Montana | 15.57¢ | $32.44 | $389 |
| South Carolina | 15.76¢ | $32.83 | $394 |
| Georgia | 15.90¢ | $33.12 | $398 |
| Texas | 15.91¢ | $33.15 | $398 |
| Oregon | 15.92¢ | $33.17 | $398 |
| Missouri | 16.02¢ | $33.38 | $400 |
| West Virginia | 16.31¢ | $33.98 | $408 |
| Alabama | 16.33¢ | $34.02 | $408 |
| New Mexico | 16.51¢ | $34.40 | $413 |
| Indiana | 17.02¢ | $35.46 | $426 |
| Iowa | 17.06¢ | $35.54 | $426 |
| Colorado | 17.17¢ | $35.77 | $429 |
| Minnesota | 17.20¢ | $35.83 | $430 |
| Virginia | 17.64¢ | $36.75 | $441 |
| Delaware | 18.70¢ | $38.96 | $468 |
| Illinois | 19.32¢ | $40.25 | $483 |
| Ohio | 19.38¢ | $40.38 | $484 |
| Wisconsin | 19.41¢ | $40.44 | $485 |
| Maryland | 21.40¢ | $44.58 | $535 |
| Pennsylvania | 21.77¢ | $45.35 | $544 |
| Michigan | 22.99¢ | $47.90 | $575 |
| Vermont | 23.84¢ | $49.67 | $596 |
| Connecticut | 24.51¢ | $51.06 | $613 |
| New Jersey | 24.61¢ | $51.27 | $615 |
| District of Columbia | 25.98¢ | $54.13 | $650 |
| New Hampshire | 27.64¢ | $57.58 | $691 |
| Rhode Island | 28.18¢ | $58.71 | $704 |
| New York | 28.65¢ | $59.69 | $716 |
| Alaska | 29.41¢ | $61.27 | $735 |
| California | 29.75¢ | $61.98 | $744 |
| Massachusetts | 30.48¢ | $63.50 | $762 |
| Maine | 32.11¢ | $66.90 | $803 |
| Hawaii | 47.18¢ | $98.29 | $1,180 |
Cutting the number down
- A good cover is the whole ballgame. Most of the energy replaces heat lost from the surface, not heat delivered to people.
- Holding temperature usually beats cooling down and reheating, because reheating a large mass of water is expensive.
- A waterlogged cover has lost its insulation value and quietly doubles the standing loss.
Questions
- How many watts does a hot tub use?
- Usage is better expressed as 2,500 kWh a year.
- How much does a hot tub cost per month?
- About $37.83 a month at the U.S. average rate, or $454 a year.
- Where is it cheapest to run?
- Nevada, at $318 a year, versus $1,180 in Hawaii — a spread of $862.