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How Much Does It Cost to Run a Pool Pump in California? (2026)

A single speed pool pump running 8 hours a day is frequently the second largest electricity consumer in a home after air conditioning. Variable speed pumps cut this cost dramatically.

A typical pool pump (1,500 W) costs $0.52 per hour, or about $126.00 per month at 8 hours a day in California. Expensive to run

Electricity price region Hours used per day

Wattage	Per hour	Per day	Per month	Per year
Low (500 W)	$0.17	$1.40	$42.00	$511.00
Typical (1,500 W)	$0.52	$4.20	$126.00	$1,533
High (2,500 W)	$0.88	$7.00	$210.00	$2,555

Formula: watts ÷ 1000 × hours × price per kWh. Typical use is 8 h/day ≈ 4,380 kWh per year.

In California, with electricity at $0.35 per kWh (source: EIA Table 5.6.A, 2026-06), a typical pool pump costs $0.52 per hour and about $1,533 per year at 8 hours a day. That is about 94% more than the US national average of $64.80 per month, because electricity in California costs $0.35 per kWh against $0.18 nationally. Each $1.00 of electricity buys roughly 1.9 hours of use.

How to lower the cost of running a pool pump

Replace a single speed pump with a variable speed model. Savings of 50 to 80 percent are typical.
Run the pump only as long as needed for one full water turnover, usually 6 to 8 hours.
Schedule pump run time for off-peak electricity hours.
Keep the filter and skimmer baskets clean so the pump works against less resistance.

Frequently asked questions

How many hours a day should a pool pump run?

Long enough to turn over the pool volume once, typically 6 to 8 hours in summer and less in winter.

How much does a pool pump cost to run per month?

A 1,500 watt pump for 8 hours uses 12 kWh a day, or about 360 kWh a month. Check the monthly figure above.

Are variable speed pumps worth it?

Usually yes. The payback period is commonly one to three years.

Cost by region

Related appliances

Use the generic electricity cost calculator →