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How much does it cost to run a pool pump?
At the U.S. average residential price of 18.34¢ per kilowatt-hour (June 2026), running a pool pump costs about $317 a year. Your own bill depends on your state's rate, which ranges from 13.11¢ to 52.72¢ across the country.
- Per hour
- 22.0¢
- Per day of use
- $1.76
- Per month
- $26.41
- Per year
- $317
Assumption: 1,200 W, 8 hours a day, 180 days a year — 1,728 kWh a year. A single-speed 1.5 HP pump. Variable-speed pumps running longer at low speed use a fraction of this.
Cost by state
Same appliance, same usage, 51 different prices. Sorted cheapest first.
| State | Rate | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nevada | 13.11¢ | $18.88 | $227 |
| Nebraska | 13.25¢ | $19.08 | $229 |
| Utah | 13.37¢ | $19.25 | $231 |
| Louisiana | 13.49¢ | $19.43 | $233 |
| Tennessee | 14.07¢ | $20.26 | $243 |
| North Dakota | 14.12¢ | $20.33 | $244 |
| Arkansas | 14.12¢ | $20.33 | $244 |
| Kentucky | 14.26¢ | $20.53 | $246 |
| Oklahoma | 14.33¢ | $20.64 | $248 |
| Idaho | 14.37¢ | $20.69 | $248 |
| North Carolina | 14.74¢ | $21.23 | $255 |
| Mississippi | 14.88¢ | $21.43 | $257 |
| Washington | 14.91¢ | $21.47 | $258 |
| New Mexico | 15.06¢ | $21.69 | $260 |
| Florida | 15.10¢ | $21.74 | $261 |
| Montana | 15.14¢ | $21.80 | $262 |
| Arizona | 15.18¢ | $21.86 | $262 |
| Wyoming | 15.24¢ | $21.95 | $263 |
| South Dakota | 15.36¢ | $22.12 | $265 |
| West Virginia | 15.45¢ | $22.25 | $267 |
| South Carolina | 15.55¢ | $22.39 | $269 |
| Kansas | 15.71¢ | $22.62 | $271 |
| Iowa | 15.93¢ | $22.94 | $275 |
| Texas | 15.94¢ | $22.95 | $275 |
| Missouri | 16.22¢ | $23.36 | $280 |
| Oregon | 16.32¢ | $23.50 | $282 |
| Georgia | 16.36¢ | $23.56 | $283 |
| Alabama | 16.40¢ | $23.62 | $283 |
| Colorado | 17.13¢ | $24.67 | $296 |
| Virginia | 17.22¢ | $24.80 | $298 |
| Indiana | 17.51¢ | $25.21 | $303 |
| Minnesota | 17.52¢ | $25.23 | $303 |
| Ohio | 19.19¢ | $27.63 | $332 |
| Delaware | 19.29¢ | $27.78 | $333 |
| Wisconsin | 19.56¢ | $28.17 | $338 |
| Illinois | 19.89¢ | $28.64 | $344 |
| Pennsylvania | 21.73¢ | $31.29 | $375 |
| Maryland | 21.84¢ | $31.45 | $377 |
| Michigan | 22.99¢ | $33.11 | $397 |
| Connecticut | 24.32¢ | $35.02 | $420 |
| District of Columbia | 24.39¢ | $35.12 | $421 |
| Vermont | 24.44¢ | $35.19 | $422 |
| New Jersey | 24.95¢ | $35.93 | $431 |
| New Hampshire | 27.01¢ | $38.89 | $467 |
| Alaska | 28.21¢ | $40.62 | $487 |
| Rhode Island | 29.23¢ | $42.09 | $505 |
| New York | 29.49¢ | $42.47 | $510 |
| Maine | 29.59¢ | $42.61 | $511 |
| Massachusetts | 29.61¢ | $42.64 | $512 |
| California | 34.74¢ | $50.03 | $600 |
| Hawaii | 52.72¢ | $75.92 | $911 |
Cutting the number down
- Pump power rises roughly with the cube of speed, so running at half speed for twice as long uses about a quarter of the energy.
- Most pools are turned over more often than they need. Cutting an hour a day is free money all season.
- A variable-speed pump is one of the few upgrades that routinely pays back within two seasons.
Questions
- How many watts does a pool pump use?
- About 1,200 W while running.
- How much does a pool pump cost per month?
- About $26.41 a month at the U.S. average rate, or $317 a year.
- Where is it cheapest to run?
- Nevada, at $227 a year, versus $911 in Hawaii — a spread of $684.