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How much does it cost to run a hot tub?
At the U.S. average residential price of 18.31¢ per kilowatt-hour (July 2026), running a hot tub costs about $458 a year. Your own bill depends on your state's rate, which ranges from 12.72¢ to 48.00¢ across the country.
- Per day
- $1.25
- Per month
- $38.15
- 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Louisiana | 12.72¢ | $26.50 | $318 |
| Nevada | 12.77¢ | $26.60 | $319 |
| Utah | 13.12¢ | $27.33 | $328 |
| North Dakota | 13.41¢ | $27.94 | $335 |
| Tennessee | 13.71¢ | $28.56 | $343 |
| Idaho | 13.73¢ | $28.60 | $343 |
| Nebraska | 13.78¢ | $28.71 | $344 |
| Kentucky | 13.81¢ | $28.77 | $345 |
| Arkansas | 14.33¢ | $29.85 | $358 |
| Oklahoma | 14.35¢ | $29.90 | $359 |
| Wyoming | 14.36¢ | $29.92 | $359 |
| Mississippi | 14.54¢ | $30.29 | $364 |
| Washington | 14.71¢ | $30.65 | $368 |
| Montana | 14.99¢ | $31.23 | $375 |
| Florida | 15.03¢ | $31.31 | $376 |
| North Carolina | 15.16¢ | $31.58 | $379 |
| Kansas | 15.27¢ | $31.81 | $382 |
| South Dakota | 15.37¢ | $32.02 | $384 |
| Arizona | 15.38¢ | $32.04 | $385 |
| South Carolina | 15.47¢ | $32.23 | $387 |
| West Virginia | 15.78¢ | $32.88 | $394 |
| Texas | 15.88¢ | $33.08 | $397 |
| Oregon | 15.97¢ | $33.27 | $399 |
| Iowa | 15.99¢ | $33.31 | $400 |
| Missouri | 16.09¢ | $33.52 | $402 |
| New Mexico | 16.09¢ | $33.52 | $402 |
| Georgia | 16.27¢ | $33.90 | $407 |
| Alabama | 16.40¢ | $34.17 | $410 |
| Indiana | 16.73¢ | $34.85 | $418 |
| Colorado | 17.00¢ | $35.42 | $425 |
| Minnesota | 17.45¢ | $36.35 | $436 |
| Virginia | 17.55¢ | $36.56 | $439 |
| Delaware | 18.48¢ | $38.50 | $462 |
| Wisconsin | 19.06¢ | $39.71 | $476 |
| Illinois | 19.22¢ | $40.04 | $480 |
| Ohio | 19.45¢ | $40.52 | $486 |
| Maryland | 21.41¢ | $44.60 | $535 |
| Pennsylvania | 21.72¢ | $45.25 | $543 |
| Michigan | 23.05¢ | $48.02 | $576 |
| Vermont | 23.75¢ | $49.48 | $594 |
| Connecticut | 24.16¢ | $50.33 | $604 |
| New Jersey | 25.19¢ | $52.48 | $630 |
| District of Columbia | 25.21¢ | $52.52 | $630 |
| New Hampshire | 26.60¢ | $55.42 | $665 |
| Rhode Island | 28.29¢ | $58.94 | $707 |
| Alaska | 28.83¢ | $60.06 | $721 |
| New York | 29.90¢ | $62.29 | $748 |
| Massachusetts | 30.49¢ | $63.52 | $762 |
| Maine | 32.41¢ | $67.52 | $810 |
| California | 33.61¢ | $70.02 | $840 |
| Hawaii | 48.00¢ | $100 | $1,200 |
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 $38.15 a month at the U.S. average rate, or $458 a year.
- Where is it cheapest to run?
- Louisiana, at $318 a year, versus $1,200 in Hawaii — a spread of $882.