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Updated July 2026 rate dataLiving & Major LoadsSourced from ENERGY STAR — Pool Pumps
Pump power scales with the cube of rpm, so a variable-speed unit moved to a lower setting and run longer turns over the same water far more cheaply. Set your pump's draw, daily hours, and state below.
EIA residential average, July 2026. Your utility's exact rate is on your bill.
Real-time math: 1,100 W × your state's rate, accumulating live.
Run like this for a year and it adds about $588 to your electricity bill.
Hours matter as much as watts: VS pumps run longer at lower speed to turn over the same water. Presets above reflect typical single-speed and VS configurations.
Energy: 8.8 kWh per day · 3,212 kWh per year, at 18.31¢/kWh (U.S. average).
Wattage is the number that decides everything else. The table below runs the actual figures through this page's calculator at the U.S. average rate of 18.31¢ /kWh, so you can see the running cost jump as the load climbs. Change any value above and the whole page recalculates.
| Watts | Power draw | Per hour | Per month (8 h/day) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 300 W | 300 W draws 0.30 kW | $0.055 | $13.37 |
| 1,200 W | 1,200 W draws 1.20 kW | $0.22 | $53.47 |
| 2,100 W | 2,100 W draws 2.10 kW | $0.38 | $93.57 |
| 3,000 W | 3,000 W draws 3.00 kW | $0.55 | $134 |
Basis: July 2026 U.S. average residential rate of 18.31¢ /kWh (EIA Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A). Your state's rate is applied as soon as you pick it above.
Pump power scales with the cube of rpm — half speed costs roughly one-eighth the power. Running 12 hours at low speed turns over the same water as 6 hours at full speed for a fraction of the energy. This is the whole variable-speed pitch, and it's physics, not marketing.
Pools need all water filtered about once a day (often less in practice). The strategy is meeting that turnover at the lowest speed that keeps water clear — an oversized pump at full throttle is the expensive default.
Northern pools run 4–5 months a year; Sun Belt pools run year-round. Annualized, a Florida single-speed habit can cost $600+ while a VS equivalent stays under $200.
Biggest savings first.
Single-speed 1 HP at 8 h/day: about $49/month at the U.S. average rate (18.31¢/kWh). Variable-speed at low speed for longer hours: typically $12–25/month for the same turnover.
Enough to filter all the water once daily — typically 6–10 hours for a properly sized pump, often less with good circulation. Watch water clarity and adjust down; more hours is not cleaner, just costlier.
For most pool owners, yes: energy savings of 60–80% pay back the price premium in 1–3 years, and many utilities offer $100–300 rebates. At the U.S. average rate a single-speed habit can burn $500+/year that a VS pump cuts to $100–200.
Rate basis: EIA residential average, July 2026 (retrieved from Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A). Estimates are for planning, not billing.
