How Much Does It Cost To Run A Hot Tub?

It's a question we're always being asked: how much does a hot tub cost to run?

The answer isn't a simple one. There's no black and white answer to this question, for every hot tub is different, every house has a different electricity tarrif, and every customer likes their water to be heated to a different temperature, for a different amount of time.

Ultimately, hot tubs keep a very large volume of water heated to a constant temperature. H2O hot tubs are extremely energy efficient, but there are a few simple steps that you can take to make sure that you aren't wasting electricity, and that you're being kind to the environment... aswell as keeping your bills down!

They are:

Cover

The cover (or lid) is the most important energy-saving part of your hot tub. One of the best things to do is make sure that you're buying a hot tub with a good quality, insulated lid. Ideally one that is tapered, allowing rainwater to run off the sides, so it doesn't bow in the middle, causing the edges to rise up, and heat to escape. If your lid gets damaged or ripped, get it repaired or replaced immediately.

Heat Retention Cover

These hard-backed foam covers are a great way to save on your energy bills. They float on the water's surface, trapping heat inside the water and stopping it from rising up and out of the spa. In addition, a heat retention cover will stop the underside of your hot tub lid from being constantly bombarded with rising moisture, which contains chlorine and other chemicals, which can cause damage over time. A good heat retention cover should be at least 12mm thick. 

Jets, Blowers and Lights

When you're not using your hot tub, make sure to turn off various features such as the LED lights, air jets and the air blower. This will reduce your electricity usage. Make sure to close your air valves to avoid pulling in cold air, which would lower the water temperature and cause the heater to switch on more frequently, thus using unnecessary energy. 

Filter

Keep your filter clean! Having a clogged or dirty filter will reduce the water flow around your hot tub, which in turn will make it less efficient because the pumps will need to work harder. Make sure that your filter is cleaned regularly - at least every time you do a full drain & refill. 

Control Settings

By reducing the temperature of your hot tub by a degree or two, this will make a real difference to the amount of energy that your spa uses to heat the water up. If you're going away for a couple of days, or you're unlikely to use your hot tub for any reason, it's well worth changing the settings to a lower temperature for this time. 21°C rather than the more usual 37-38°C will make a huge difference to electricity consumption. 

Many hot tubs have an Eco mode to facilitate this. When you're ready to use your hot tub again, you can turn the temperature up and it will take a lot less time and electricity to heat it back to usage temperature, compared to switching it off entirely. Many H2O hot tubs come with bwa™ (Balboa Worldwide App) enabled on their control systems. This means you can use your app on your phone, wherever you are, to monitor and control your hot tub's temperature.

Conclusion

A hot tub might seem daunting, but they're extremely simple, and efficent, pieces of kit to run in your home or garden, as long as you're smart and follow the steps above.

Making sure that your hot tub has a regular annual service will maintain it's life, keeping it at optimum efficiency. 

For more about what to look for when buying a hot tub, why not request a FREE copy of our Hot Tub Buyers Guide or our new 2016 brochure, by clicking the images below:

Hot Tub Buyers Guide			H2O Hot Tubs 2016 Brochure