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How much does it cost to run a hot tub?
At the U.S. average residential price of 18.34¢ per kilowatt-hour (June 2026), running a hot tub costs about $458 a year. Your own bill depends on your state's rate, which ranges from 13.11¢ to 52.72¢ across the country.
- Per day
- $1.26
- Per month
- $38.21
- Per year
- $458
Assumption: 2,500 kWh a year. A well-insulated 400-gallon tub held at 100 F year-round in a moderate climate. A poorly insulated tub in a cold climate can double this.
Cost by state
Same appliance, same usage, 51 different prices. Sorted cheapest first.
| State | Rate | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nevada | 13.11¢ | $27.31 | $328 |
| Nebraska | 13.25¢ | $27.60 | $331 |
| Utah | 13.37¢ | $27.85 | $334 |
| Louisiana | 13.49¢ | $28.10 | $337 |
| Tennessee | 14.07¢ | $29.31 | $352 |
| North Dakota | 14.12¢ | $29.42 | $353 |
| Arkansas | 14.12¢ | $29.42 | $353 |
| Kentucky | 14.26¢ | $29.71 | $356 |
| Oklahoma | 14.33¢ | $29.85 | $358 |
| Idaho | 14.37¢ | $29.94 | $359 |
| North Carolina | 14.74¢ | $30.71 | $368 |
| Mississippi | 14.88¢ | $31.00 | $372 |
| Washington | 14.91¢ | $31.06 | $373 |
| New Mexico | 15.06¢ | $31.38 | $377 |
| Florida | 15.10¢ | $31.46 | $378 |
| Montana | 15.14¢ | $31.54 | $378 |
| Arizona | 15.18¢ | $31.62 | $380 |
| Wyoming | 15.24¢ | $31.75 | $381 |
| South Dakota | 15.36¢ | $32.00 | $384 |
| West Virginia | 15.45¢ | $32.19 | $386 |
| South Carolina | 15.55¢ | $32.40 | $389 |
| Kansas | 15.71¢ | $32.73 | $393 |
| Iowa | 15.93¢ | $33.19 | $398 |
| Texas | 15.94¢ | $33.21 | $398 |
| Missouri | 16.22¢ | $33.79 | $405 |
| Oregon | 16.32¢ | $34.00 | $408 |
| Georgia | 16.36¢ | $34.08 | $409 |
| Alabama | 16.40¢ | $34.17 | $410 |
| Colorado | 17.13¢ | $35.69 | $428 |
| Virginia | 17.22¢ | $35.88 | $430 |
| Indiana | 17.51¢ | $36.48 | $438 |
| Minnesota | 17.52¢ | $36.50 | $438 |
| Ohio | 19.19¢ | $39.98 | $480 |
| Delaware | 19.29¢ | $40.19 | $482 |
| Wisconsin | 19.56¢ | $40.75 | $489 |
| Illinois | 19.89¢ | $41.44 | $497 |
| Pennsylvania | 21.73¢ | $45.27 | $543 |
| Maryland | 21.84¢ | $45.50 | $546 |
| Michigan | 22.99¢ | $47.90 | $575 |
| Connecticut | 24.32¢ | $50.67 | $608 |
| District of Columbia | 24.39¢ | $50.81 | $610 |
| Vermont | 24.44¢ | $50.92 | $611 |
| New Jersey | 24.95¢ | $51.98 | $624 |
| New Hampshire | 27.01¢ | $56.27 | $675 |
| Alaska | 28.21¢ | $58.77 | $705 |
| Rhode Island | 29.23¢ | $60.90 | $731 |
| New York | 29.49¢ | $61.44 | $737 |
| Maine | 29.59¢ | $61.65 | $740 |
| Massachusetts | 29.61¢ | $61.69 | $740 |
| California | 34.74¢ | $72.38 | $869 |
| Hawaii | 52.72¢ | $110 | $1,318 |
Cutting the number down
- A good cover is the whole ballgame. Most of the energy replaces heat lost from the surface, not heat delivered to people.
- Holding temperature usually beats cooling down and reheating, because reheating a large mass of water is expensive.
- A waterlogged cover has lost its insulation value and quietly doubles the standing loss.
Questions
- How many watts does a hot tub use?
- Usage is better expressed as 2,500 kWh a year.
- How much does a hot tub cost per month?
- About $38.21 a month at the U.S. average rate, or $458 a year.
- Where is it cheapest to run?
- Nevada, at $328 a year, versus $1,318 in Hawaii — a spread of $990.