Pool running cost calculator

Build a yearly pool running-cost estimate from pump, heater and cleaner electricity, plus chemical spending and top-up water. The result separates these parts so you can see which entered cost contributes most to the total.

Enter the pump's electrical watts and daily hours. Do the same for a separate cleaner. Heater electricity is a measured kWh total per operating day, not the useful heat delivered to the pool. If one meter includes several items, separate them before entry so the same energy is not counted twice.

Enter the months the equipment operates each year. This season applies to the pump, heater and cleaner electricity. Chemical spending and top-up water are annual totals already, so do not reduce them again for the season. Use the matching electricity and water prices from your bills, including the applicable usage charges and tax.

Add pump, heater and cleaner electricity for the selected operating season, then add the entered annual chemical and water spending. Water cost = annual top-up litres ÷ 1000 × the price per kilolitre. Heater electricity must be metered input energy, not delivered heat. Heating demand and chemical dosing are not inferred from pool size.

For pumps and cleaners, watts ÷ 1000 × hours gives daily kWh. Add their energy to measured heater kWh, then cost it at the selected electricity price. Convert cents per kWh to dollars by dividing by 100. Season days are operating months ÷ 12 × 365.

Water litres ÷ 1000 gives kilolitres, matching the requested water price. Add this annual water cost and annual chemical spending to seasonal electricity costs. The average-month result is the annual total divided by twelve. It can be lower than the cost of an active summer month because the year may include months with no equipment use.

These illustrative inputs are separate from your saved answers. Prices, use and performance are held constant for this worked scenario; they are not personal defaults.

Keep equipment readings on the same operating-day basis. A heater reading from a cold period may not represent a whole season. The calculator holds the entered daily use constant and does not infer pool heat loss from size, local weather, water temperature or cover use.

Use electrical input watts rather than motor horsepower or heat output. Enter only the cleaner's separate power if the main pump already supplies its energy. The estimate does not decide the run time required for circulation or water treatment.

This is a budget for the listed items only. Fixed supply charges, repairs, servicing, installation and equipment replacement are excluded. Chemical spending is your entered cost, not a dosing recommendation. Missing personal values do not become zero; enter zero explicitly for an item with no cost or use. An incomplete edit keeps the last valid result with a warning. Money is rounded only for display.

The published electricity option uses EIA state residential averages for July 2026, released on 24 September 2026 and checked on 14 October 2026. These describe past average prices. They are not your supplier's offer or a promise of future prices. Choose your bill price for a personal comparison. Include the taxes and usage charges that change with consumption; keep fixed account charges separate.

Water is entered in litres and priced per kilolitre, meaning 1000 litres. Convert a US-gallon bill quantity and its price together. Do not enter a price per 1000 US gallons as though it were a price per kilolitre.

Ask a pool professional to check which equipment is included in each meter reading and whether the operating schedule meets your pool's needs. An energy adviser can help separate pool use from a whole-house bill.

Keep circulation, water treatment and equipment safety separate from budget cuts. Follow the maker's instructions and use qualified help for electrical or installation work. The calculator cannot assess water quality, prescribe chemical amounts or confirm that reducing equipment hours is appropriate.