California has about 1,343,000 residential pools, one for every 29 residents. Here is what running one costs at California's electricity price, and the calculators to keep yours clear.
Electricity in California averages 29.75 cents per kWh, above the median state's 16.32 cents. For a typical 20,000-gallon pool turned over in 8 hours a day:
| Pump | Per month | Per year, if run year-round |
|---|---|---|
| Single-speed, 1.7 kW, 8 h a day | $123 | $1,476 |
| Variable-speed at half speed, 16 h a day | $30.75 | $369 |
Switching saves about $92.25 a month in California. Run your own pump and pool size in the pool pump calculator, already set to California's price.
A covered spa whose 4 kW heater runs about 2 hours a day, with a 300 W pump on for 12 hours, uses about 353 kWh a month: $105 a month at California prices.
Heater time is the big variable: a cold winter or a waterlogged cover can double it. Enter your own numbers in the hot tub electricity cost calculator.
Wherever you swim, clear water comes down to a few numbers: free chlorine at 7.5% of your stabilizer or more, pH between 7.2 and 7.8, and enough pump time to filter all the water every day. Sunny, hot weeks use chlorine fastest, so test more often then.
About 1,343,000 residential pools, one for every 29 residents. That ranks California 2nd of 50 states for the number of pools and 6th for pools per person.
At California's average residential electricity price of 29.75 cents per kWh, a 1.7 kW single-speed pump running 8 hours a day costs about $123 a month. A variable-speed pump moving the same water at half speed costs about $30.75.
About $105 a month for a spa whose 4 kW heater runs 2 hours a day and whose 300 W pump runs 12 hours, at 29.75 cents per kWh. Your heater time depends on weather and your cover.
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Pool Salt Cell Guide: How It Works, Cleaning and Low Salt ReadingsHow a pool salt cell makes chlorine, how to clean it, how long it lasts, and why it reads 'low salt' when the water isn't. A practical guide for salt pool owners.Sources: pool counts from RubyHome, Swimming Pool Statistics (2026); electricity prices from US EIA, Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A, residential price, August 2026. Costs are estimates for the setups described.