When deciding on whether to buy a first hot tub, many potential owners are worried about how much it will cost to run. This is a legitimate worry since hot tubs will generally cause an increase in electricity and water bills. But potential owners may be surprised to find that hot tubs aren’t overly expensive to run. If you learn how to run a hot tub economically their cost may be not that much more than any other regularly used appliance in the house. In this article, we’ll go over some pointers to help you choose the right hot tub, assuage your energy efficiency worries and provide some tips on how to run it with minimal cost.
Buying the Right Hot Tub
There are countless different models of hot tubs on the market and choosing the one that meets your specific needs the best will play a large role in how easy it will be to operate economically. Some hot tubs are innately more energy efficient than others, but you will likely pay more upfront for that frill. Getting a hot tub that’s closely aligned with your needs is the first step in economic prudence.
Hot Tub Insulation
Heating the water will comprise the majority of expense in hot tub operational costs, so conserving heat should be one of your primary goals. The amount of insulation you need will depend on the climate of the area you live in, whether you plan on using your hot tub in the colder months and whether it’s an inground or above ground model.
Climate
If you’re lucky enough to live in an area with mild winters or you don’t plan to use your hot tub during the colder months, insulation will play a less important role in retaining heat. If your area experiences extremely cold weather and you plan to use your hot tub all year round, you should invest in a heavily insulated cabinet to curtail your heating costs.
Inground Hot Tubs
If you’re looking at an inground model, insulation won’t need to be as much of a consideration since the ground will act as an effective form of insulation. However, inground hot tubs are much more expensive to install and much harder to remove.
Hot Tub Covers
Although insulation around the cabinet and plumbing will play a role in water heat retention, most heat loss will occur from the water’s surface. Obviously, there’s nothing that can be done about this when the tub is in use, but you should have a good fitting, well-insulated cover to place over the top of the hot tub when it’s not in use. This is especially effective at preventing heat loss during cold nights.
Hot Tub Size
The size of your hot tub will play a part in how much it costs to run. Larger hot tubs will obviously cost more to run than smaller ones but choosing the size of your hot tub should depend on how you plan to use it more than how much money you hope to save on your electric bill. There’s little sense in saving a few dollars every month if you don’t have room for your family and friends to enjoy themselves.
Water Temperature Maintenance
It might seem hard to believe but running your water heater constantly can be cheaper than turning it off after every use. It takes much more energy to bring cold water up to temperature than it does to keep warm water at a constant level. And the colder the weather is, the more this is noticeable. If you won’t be using the hot tub for a couple of weeks, it’s more economical to simply reduce the water temperature by a few degrees rather than turn off the heater completely.
For more information on owning a hot tub, download a free hot tub buyer’s guide below today, or visit us at our London hot tub store.