How much does it cost to run a hot tub?
EIA data · June 2026About $50.21 a month at the U.S. average price of 18.34¢ per kilowatt-hour — but that figure moves a long way depending on where you live. Set your state below.
273.8 kWh a month at the U.S. average, 18.34¢/kWh for June 2026. Excludes fixed charges, taxes and time-of-use rates, which vary by utility and are on your bill.
Typical 1,000–6,000 W. Use the figure on your own label if you have it.
25% duty cycle applied — it draws power for part of that time.
A hot tub is #9 of 88 on this site by annual cost, so it is probably not the only thing worth checking. See what a hot tub costs beside everything else you run.
Published figures for this appliance disagree by a wide margin. Why other sites price a hot tub so differently.
How many watts a hot tub uses
Plug-in 120-volt hot tubs use a 1,000–1,500 W heater. Hard-wired 240-volt tubs use 4,000–6,000 W heaters and heat far faster. Pumps add several hundred watts while running.
- Low
- 1,000 W
- Typical
- 1,500 W
- High
- 6,000 W
What it costs across the country
Same appliance, same usage, different electricity price. Annual cost at 1,500 W and the default usage above.
| State | ¢/kWh | Per year |
|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | 52.72 | $1,732 |
| California | 34.74 | $1,141 |
| Massachusetts | 29.61 | $973 |
| New York | 29.49 | $969 |
| Ohio | 19.19 | $630 |
| Texas | 15.94 | $524 |
| Florida | 15.10 | $496 |
| Utah | 13.37 | $439 |
| Nebraska | 13.25 | $435 |
| Nevada | 13.11 | $431 |
Worth knowing
- Nearly all of a hot tub’s cost is holding temperature between uses, not heating it for a soak, which is why the duty cycle matters more than the heater’s size.
- Cover condition is the dominant cost factor. A waterlogged or ill-fitting cover can double standby heat loss.
- Cold ambient temperatures raise the duty cycle sharply, so winter running costs are far above the annual average.
Other appliances
- Electric water heater
- Electric vehicle charging
- Pool pump
- Well pump
- Sump pump
- Water softener
- Electric sauna
- Heated floor
Prices are statewide residential averages for June 2026 from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. They exclude fixed monthly charges, taxes and time-of-use rates. See how these figures are calculated.