4 Steps to Calculate Your Pump’s Electricity Cost

Find the pump’s wattage Check the nameplate or manual. A typical 1.5 HP pump uses about 1500 watts.

Convert watts to kilowatts Divide wattage by 1000. For a 1500-watt pump, that’s 1.5 kW.

Multiply by hours run and your rate Multiply kilowatts by hours of operation, then by your cost per kWh (from your electric bill). Example: 1.5 kW × 1 hour × $0.12/kWh = $0.18 per hour.

Adjust for variable speed pumps If your pump runs at low speed, wattage drops dramatically—say 300 watts instead of 1500. That cuts cost to about $0.036 per hour. This matters when deciding on a timer or upgrade.