How much it costs to run a hot tub in California
Short answer
Keeping a typical 6- to 7-seat hot tub hot in California costs about $51 a month, or $609 a year, at the state's average rate of 33.25¢ per kWh. The figure uses the median tub's measured standby draw of 209 W. With January averaging 44.9°F, winter bills run above it.
| 2 to 3 seats | $37 | $26/moCaldera Spas Aventine |
|---|---|---|
| 4 to 5 seats | $45 | $29/moHot Spring Aptos |
| 6 to 7 seats | $51 | $32/moNordic Hot Tubs Crown |
| 8 or more seats | $59 | $37/moJacuzzi J509 |
| Swim spa | $105 | — |
How does California's electricity rate compare?
Homes in California pay 33.25¢ per kWh on average, 83% more than the US average of 18.19¢: the 2nd-highest rate of the 50 states and DC.
For the median 6- to 7-seater that is $23 a month more than the same tub at the US average, about $276 a year.
The nearest rates to California's are Massachusetts (30.14¢) and Hawaii (46.28¢). EIA's figure averages every utility and month in the state. The rate on your own bill, delivery charges included, is the one to use, and the calculator on hot tub running cost takes it.
Does winter in California raise the cost?
Yes, in the colder months. California's January averages 44.9°F, the 9th-warmest of the 51. The coldest January in NOAA's 1991–2020 record, 2008, averaged 41.1°F.
The standby figure comes from a California test run in a room near 60°F, with the result scaled to a 37°F gap between 102°F water and the air, as if the air were 65°F. In an average California January the gap is about 57°F, 20°F more than the test. Averaged over the year, California is 59.0°F: colder than the test in winter and warmer in summer, when a covered tub draws less than its listing.
Makers show the effect too. Hot Spring's own example puts one of its tubs at $13.92 a month to heat in 75°F weather and $36.61 in 35°F weather, at the same 11¢ rate. California's January, at 44.9°F, falls between the two, nearer the cold end. We don't turn that into a California number: no public test shows how each tub's draw changes with the cold, so the costs here stay at the tested standby. In a California winter, treat them as a floor.
Standby watts still separate one tub from another here. The best hot tubs for cold climates ranks the lowest by size, and hot tub insulation explains how makers hold the heat.
How much does an efficient hot tub save in California?
About $227 a year for a 6- to 7-seater. The Nordic Hot Tubs Crown draws 131 W on standby against the 209 W median, $32 a month against $51 at California's rate.
The 6- to 7-seaters we track run from 131 W to 287 W, which in California is $454 a year apart, against $249 at the US average. The higher the rate, the more an efficient tub is worth. Every tub with a filing is ranked on the most energy-efficient hot tubs.
| AventineCaldera Spas · 2 to 3 seats | $26 | $131/yr |
|---|---|---|
| AptosHot Spring · 4 to 5 seats | $29 | $188/yr |
| CrownNordic Hot Tubs · 6 to 7 seats | $32 | $227/yr |
| J509Jacuzzi · 8 or more seats | $37 | $274/yr |
What else changes a hot tub's bill in California?
Use. The figures assume nobody gets in. A soak runs the jet pumps and opens the cover, and the heater has to replace the lost heat.
Temperature. The heater holds the gap between the water and the air. Each degree you take off the set point narrows that gap around the clock, which counts most in a California winter.
Cover. The test runs with the maker's own cover in place. A cover left open, or one that no longer seals, loses heat the test never measured.
Refills. Heating the median six-seater's 392 gallons from 55°F hose water to 102°F takes at least 45 kWh, about $15 at California's rate.
How much does a swim spa cost to run in California?
About $105 a month, or $1,255 a year, for the median swim spa at 33.25¢ per kWh. The median of the 44 swim spas with a California filing draws 431 W on standby. That is about 2.1 times the median 6- to 7-seat hot tub. Costs by model are on swim spa cost.
Common questions
How much does a hot tub add to the electric bill in California?
About $51 a month for a typical 6- to 7-seat tub kept hot at California's average rate of 33.25¢ per kWh, for 153 kWh of measured standby. Across the 317 tubs with a California filing, standby costs $26 to $85 a month there. Soaking and refills add to it.
Is it more expensive to run a hot tub in California than in other states?
Yes. California's rate is the 2nd-highest of the 51, so the same tub costs 83% more to keep hot than at the US average: $51 a month against $28 for the median 6- to 7-seater.
Does a hot tub cost more to run in winter in California?
Yes. The standby figure is scaled to a 37°F gap between 102°F water and the air. California's January averages 44.9°F, a gap of about 57°F, so the heater runs longer than the figure assumes. How much longer depends on the tub's insulation and cover.
Sources
6
- EIA Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.BCalifornia 33.25¢ and US 18.19¢ per kWh, residential, January to July 2026 (preliminary)
- California Energy Commission appliance efficiency database (portable electric spas)Measured standby power for 317 hot tubs and 44 swim spas
- US Department of Energy, proposed test procedure for portable electric spas, 87 FR 63356Quotes the CEC test room at 60°F (3°F tolerance) and ANSI/APSP/ICC-14's 37°F normalized gap for 102°F water
- NOAA NCEI Climate at a Glance: California statewide, January average temperature44.9°F averaged over 1991–2020; coldest January 2008 at 41.1°F
- NOAA NCEI Climate at a Glance: California statewide, annual average temperature59.0°F averaged over 1991–2020
- Hot Spring: How much will my electric bill increase with a new hot tub?One tub at 11¢ per kWh: $13.92 a month to heat in 75°F weather (Miami), $36.61 in 35°F weather (International Falls, Minnesota)