Calculator · pool pump
What does your pool pump cost to run?
Pool pumps often run many hours a day, every day. Enter the pump's electrical input power and its daily hours, then try a different schedule or a different pump to see the difference at your price per kWh.
Updated November 1, 2026 · Edited by Carlos Gil, publisher · formulas and rate presets checked against the sources below
Short answer
- Daily kWh = the pump's input watts ÷ 1,000 × hours a day; multiply by your price per kWh for the cost.
- An 1,800 W pump running 8 hours uses 14.4 kWh a day, $2.16 at 15¢; the same pump for 6 hours uses 10.8 kWh, $1.62.
Your numbers
Example valuesThese are example inputs so you can see how it works. Replace them with your own.
The price of one more kWh, in cents. Find yours with the price per kWh calculator; the per-kWh rate is better than the all-in average for valuing savings.
Or use a published Florida rate for the next kWh, before taxes and local fees (sources):
Only have volts and amps from the nameplate?
Result
EstimateFrom example values- Current 1,800 W × 8.0 h/day
- $788.40/yr
- 14.4 kWh a day · $64.80 per 30 days
- Alternative 1,800 W × 6.0 h/day
- $591.30/yr
- 10.8 kWh a day · $48.60 per 30 days
- Difference (alternative uses less)
- $197.10/yr
- 1,314 kWh a year, if the pump runs every day of the year on these settings.
How this is calculated
kWh per day = input watts ÷ 1,000 × hours per day. Annual cost = kWh per day × 365 × your price per kWh. With the example, 1,800 W for 8 hours is 14.4 kWh a day; at 15¢ that's $2.16 a day. Running the same pump 6 hours is 10.8 kWh, $1.62 a day.
Why not horsepower? Horsepower describes the motor's mechanical output, not the electricity it draws. Two pumps with the same horsepower rating can draw different amounts of power depending on motor efficiency, speed and the plumbing they push against. Use the electrical input in watts.
Comparing pumps. A pump's real draw depends on its speed setting and your plumbing, so savings from a different pump depend on how it will actually be run. We don't assume a savings percentage; enter the watts and hours for each setup.
For context: ENERGY STAR says its certified in-ground pool pumps use about 20% less energy than standard models (about $50 a year) and above-ground models about 11% less (about $20 a year), and that reducing pump speed by half lets a pump use about one-eighth as much energy. These are ENERGY STAR's averages for certified models, not a prediction for your pool.
Illustrative example: the same schedule change on FPL and JEA prices
The calculator's example pump, 1,800 W, cut from 8 to 6 hours a day, priced for a year at the next-kWh prices on FPL's October 2026 rate and JEA's October 2026 rates with November fuel, before taxes and local fees. The pump and its schedule are invented.
| Price used | 8 hours a day | 6 hours a day | Difference a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| FPL, first 1,000 kWh (12.26¢) | $644.28 | $483.21 | $161.07 |
| FPL, above 1,000 kWh (14.26¢) | $749.40 | $562.05 | $187.35 |
| JEA, first 1,000 kWh (12.79¢) | $672.24 | $504.18 | $168.06 |
| JEA, above 1,000 kWh (14.68¢) | $771.58 | $578.69 | $192.90 |
Both schedules assume the pump runs every day of the year. The difference is 1,314 kWh a year whichever utility you're with; only the price changes. If your bills are usually above 1,000 kWh, the hours you cut come off the higher price, so read the "above 1,000 kWh" rows. Whether 6 hours keeps the water filtered and sanitized is a question for your pool professional or the equipment manufacturer, not for this calculator.
How much of a bill the pump can be
At 8 hours a day, the example pump uses 14.4 kWh a day, or 432 kWh over 30 days. On an invented 1,500 kWh bill, that's 28.8% of the usage. Take the pump away and the bill would still be 1,068 kWh, above the 1,000 kWh line, so every kWh the pump uses is priced at the higher rate: about $61.61 a month on FPL and $63.42 on JEA before taxes and local fees.
To see your own figure, divide the pump's monthly kWh from the calculator by the kWh on your bill. A high share is a reason to get the pump's real input watts rather than an estimate, because small errors in watts or hours become large in dollars over a year.
The pump beside a whole home's daily use
EIA's 2024 average for a Florida residential customer works out to about 36.3 kWh a day. The example pump's 14.4 kWh a day is about 40% of that on its own. If you're comparing your bills with an average, take the pump's kWh out first; a home with a pool isn't comparable with one without.
Illustrative example: when you only have volts and amps
An invented nameplate reads 230 V and 8 A. Volts × amps = 1,840 W, an upper limit rather than the real input. On the 8-hour schedule that's at most 5,373 kWh a year, or $766.05 at FPL's 14.26¢ above 1,000 kWh. A motor's real input in watts is usually lower, so treat this as the most the pump could cost, and get the real watts before comparing it with a replacement.
Pumps that run at more than one speed
A variable-speed pump can be set to run at different speeds through the day, for example a short period at a higher speed and a longer one at a lower speed. The calculator takes one wattage per setup, so work out the daily kWh for each speed, add them, and divide by the total hours to get an average.
Illustrative example (invented watts)
High speed: 1,500 W for 2 hours = 3.0 kWh. Low speed: 300 W for 10 hours = 3.0 kWh. That's 6.0 kWh over 12 hours, an average of 500 W. Enter 500 W and 12 hours. Over a year that's 2,190 kWh, or $312.25 at FPL's 14.26¢ above 1,000 kWh.
Read the watts from the pump's display at each speed if it shows them. ENERGY STAR's point that a pump at half speed uses about one-eighth as much energy is why a long, slow run can use less than a short, fast one, but the only way to know for your pump is to use its real watts at each speed.
Mistakes that skew a pool pump estimate
- The maximum watts for a lower speed. A variable-speed pump draws different watts at each speed. Use the watts at the speed it actually runs.
- One speed's watts for a multi-speed schedule. Average them as above, or the cost will be too high or too low.
- A year of daily running for a pump that's off part of the year. The yearly figure assumes every day. If the schedule changes with the season, run the calculator for each season and add them.
- Other pool equipment folded in, or left out. Lights, a heater or a second pump on the same timer aren't part of the pump's watts. Estimate them separately with the appliance cost calculator.
- Volts × amps used as if it were watts. It's an upper limit, so a cost based on it will be too high.
Before you change the schedule or the pump
- Ask your pool professional or the manufacturer what run time and speed the pool needs to stay filtered and sanitized.
- Get the input watts at each speed you'll use, from the display, the spec sheet or a qualified installer.
- Cost each setup with the price of your next kWh from the price per kWh calculator.
- For a new pump, enter the installed cost and the yearly difference in the upgrade payback calculator.
- Check incentives: FPL's On Call credit applies to single-speed pumps where it's offered (see FPL), and JEA's residential rebate list we checked on October 31, 2026 doesn't include pool pumps. See rebates for the current list.
Daily cost by pump power and hours
Cost per day at an example price of 15¢ per kWh. Find your pump's input watts in the left column and read across to its daily run time. Multiply by 30 for a month, or scale by your own price: at 12¢, each figure is 20% lower; at 18¢, 20% higher.
| Input power | 4 hours | 6 hours | 8 hours | 12 hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 500 W | $0.30 | $0.45 | $0.60 | $0.90 |
| 1,000 W | $0.60 | $0.90 | $1.20 | $1.80 |
| 1,500 W | $0.90 | $1.35 | $1.80 | $2.70 |
| 2,000 W | $1.20 | $1.80 | $2.40 | $3.60 |
Frequently asked questions
Why can't I use my pool pump's horsepower?
Horsepower describes mechanical output, not the electricity the motor draws. Two pumps with the same horsepower can draw different power depending on motor efficiency, speed and plumbing, so use the electrical input in watts.
Where do I find my pool pump's input watts?
On the spec sheet, on the display of many variable-speed pumps, or by measuring it. If the nameplate lists only volts and amps, multiplying them gives an upper limit.
Does a variable-speed pump always save money?
Not automatically. ENERGY STAR says reducing pump speed by half lets a pump use about one-eighth as much energy, but savings depend on the speeds and hours you actually run. Compare both setups in the calculator with real watts and hours.
Can I just run my pool pump fewer hours?
Fewer hours use less electricity, but the water still has to stay filtered and sanitized. Check any schedule change with your pool professional or the equipment manufacturer.
Does FPL offer anything for pool pumps?
FPL's On Call program lists a $1.50 monthly credit for a single-speed pool pump that FPL may cycle off for up to 4 hours a day, where the program is offered. FPL notes it may not be available in your area yet.
Sources
- ENERGY STAR pool pumps · checked October 31, 2026
- FPL On Call · checked October 31, 2026
- FPL residential rates, October 2026 (PDF) · checked October 31, 2026
- JEA rates, including Electric Rates Definitions · checked October 31, 2026
- JEA residential rebates · checked October 31, 2026
- U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Sales, Revenue, and Average Price, Table 5.a (2024 data, released Oct 7, 2025) · checked October 31, 2026