Appliance running costs
Cost to run a pool pump
How much does a 1,100 W pool pump cost to run?
A 1,100 W pool pump switched on 8 hours per day at 100% duty cycle uses 8.80 kWh of electricity per day. At $0.180/kWh that is $1.58 per day, about $48.21 per average month and $578.54 per year — 3,214 kWh over the year. Those figures assume a typical wattage and a typical usage pattern; change any input below to match your own appliance and tariff.
Your inputs
Typical example — replace this 1,100 W default with your appliance’s actual rating for a better estimate.
Adjust to match how hard the appliance actually works — typical range around 100%.
Applies only to the 16 h a day the appliance is switched off, not to the idle part of the duty cycle.
Use the total variable rate from your bill, including delivery charges per kWh.
$48.21
per month (30.44-day average month)
8.80 kWh per day at 1,100 W
- Per day
- $1.58
- kWh / month
- 268
- kWh / year
- 3,214
- Per year
- $578.54
Average power across 24 hours
367 W
Daily energy spread evenly over 24 hours. Includes standby draw during switched-off hours when entered.
Cost per running hour
$0.198
While the appliance is actually drawing power.
Effective duty cycle
100%
Share of switched-on time at rated power.
Method
- 1,100 W = 1.1 kW
- 1.1 kW × 8 h/day = 8.8 kWh/day active
- 8.8 kWh × 0.18 USD/kWh = 1.584 USD/day
- 1.584 × 30.436875 days = 48.212 USD/month
- 8.8 kWh × 365.2425 days = 3214.134 kWh/year
- 3214.134 kWh × 0.18 USD/kWh = 578.544 USD/year
Monthly figures use a 30.44-day average month, 365.24-day average year.
Assumptions
- Electricity rate of 0.18 USD/kWh (editable).
- Calculations use a year of 365.2425 days and an average month of 365.2425 ÷ 12 = 30.436875 days, so twelve average months equal one year exactly. Displayed values are rounded to 365.24 and 30.44 days, and the rounded figures do not multiply out exactly.
- Rated power is treated as real power in watts, not volt-amps.
What can change the result?
- Motor speed setting on a variable-speed pump
- Daily run hours set on the timer
- Filter condition and plumbing restriction, which raise power draw
- Season — many pools run shorter cycles in winter
$48.21/mo · 268 kWh/mo
How a pool pump actually draws power
A pool pump runs at a steady draw for however many hours the timer allows, so it behaves as a genuinely continuous load — no cycling to discount. The important distinction is single-speed versus variable-speed. Because power rises roughly with the cube of flow rate, halving the speed and doubling the run time can cut energy use dramatically while moving the same total volume of water.
The result below is a straight power × hours calculation, which is accurate for a single-speed pump. For a variable-speed pump enter the input power at the speed you actually run, not the motor's maximum rating — that difference is usually the biggest error in pool pump estimates.
Cost at different usage patterns
All rows use 1,100 W at 100% duty and $0.180/kWh. Only the hours change.
| Hours per day | kWh per day | Per day | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 h/day | 4.40 kWh | $0.79 | $24.11 | $289.27 |
| 6 h/day | 6.60 kWh | $1.19 | $36.16 | $433.91 |
| 8 h/day | 8.80 kWh | $1.58 | $48.21 | $578.54 |
| 12 h/day | 13.2 kWh | $2.38 | $72.32 | $867.82 |
Cost across the typical wattage range
Units in this category typically range from 250 W to 2,500 W. All rows use 8 h/day at 100% duty.
| Power rating | kWh per day | Per day | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 250 W | 2.00 kWh | $0.36 | $10.96 | $131.49 |
| 1,100 W | 8.80 kWh | $1.58 | $48.21 | $578.54 |
| 2,500 W | 20.0 kWh | $3.60 | $109.57 | $1,315 |
Worth knowing
Worth knowing
Your next decision
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- Why the rating plate overstates what this appliance usesDuty cycle and part-load operation, which set the figures above.
Your next decision
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Electricity cost tools
- Electricity cost calculatorWatts and hours in, cost per day, month and year out.
- Cost per kWh explainedThree different costs per kWh on one bill, and which one belongs in a calculator.
- Appliance wattage calculatorA configurable appliance list: what this combination draws, and what it costs.
- Watts to run a houseRunning, average and startup watts — separated, not averaged into one range.
Defaults on this page come from the published default registry and the formulas are documented in the methodology.