How much does a pool cost to run a year?

Running costs come from the pump power, chemicals, water top-ups and any heating, plus servicing. A pool without heating might cost a few hundred to over a thousand dollars a year, while a heated pool can cost much more, driven mostly by the heating energy.

What is the biggest cost of owning a pool?

For a heated pool, heating is usually the largest cost by far. For an unheated pool, the pump running for hours each day to filter the water is the main electricity cost, alongside chemicals.

How can I cut pool running costs?

A pool cover reduces heat loss and evaporation, an efficient or variable-speed pump cuts power, and running the pump only as long as needed all help. Heating is the area where savings make the biggest difference.

Pool Running Cost Calculator

This calculator works out what a swimming pool costs to run each year in New Zealand, not just the price of building one. Pool owners often budget for construction but are surprised by the ongoing bill, where the filtration pump and any heating can add up to thousands of dollars a year. You enter your pump's power rating in kW, how many hours a day it runs, your power price per kWh, and your yearly spend on chemicals, heating and other costs like water top-ups and servicing. The calculator multiplies the pump's power, hours and 365 days by your power price for the true pumping cost, then adds your other figures for the total annual running cost, shown as a per-week amount alongside a breakdown of pump power, chemicals and heating so you can see where the money goes. Use it before building a pool to budget realistically, or if you already own one, to see where savings would help most, such as a pool cover or a more efficient pump, since heating usually dominates the cost of a heated pool while pump power is the main cost for an unheated one. Because power prices, pump efficiency, climate and pool use vary widely, treat the result as an indicative estimate for planning, and adjust the defaults to match your own pool and habits.

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Pump power (kW)

Pump hours per day

Power price (per kWh)

Chemicals per year

Heating per year

Water, servicing, other

to run the pool per year

Pump power$0

Chemicals$0

Heating$0

Per week$0

A pool cover, an efficient pump and running it only as long as needed all cut costs, with heating the area where savings count most. Estimate only.

How it works

The calculator works out the pump's yearly power cost from its kW rating, the hours it runs each day and your power price, then adds your chemicals, heating, and water and servicing costs. The total is the true annual running cost of the pool, and the breakdown shows where the money goes. For a heated pool, heating usually dominates; for an unheated one, the pump is the main electricity cost.

Worked example

A 1.1 kW pump running 6 hours a day uses about 2,409 kWh a year, roughly $675 at 28 cents. Add $500 chemicals, $800 heating and $300 of water and servicing, and the pool costs about $2,275 a year, or around $44 a week.

Related calculators

Electricity Cost Calculator: power costs.
Appliance Running Cost Calculator: appliance costs.
Second Fridge Cost Calculator: a second fridge.

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