How much it costs to run a hot tub in North Carolina
Short answer
Keeping a typical 6- to 7-seat hot tub hot in North Carolina costs about $23 a month, or $274 a year, at the state's average rate of 14.94¢ per kWh. The figure uses the median tub's measured standby draw of 209 W. With January averaging 40.8°F, winter bills run above it.
| 2 to 3 seats | $17 | $12/moCaldera Spas Aventine |
|---|---|---|
| 4 to 5 seats | $20 | $13/moHot Spring Aptos |
| 6 to 7 seats | $23 | $14/moNordic Hot Tubs Crown |
| 8 or more seats | $27 | $16/moJacuzzi J509 |
| Swim spa | $47 | — |
How does North Carolina's electricity rate compare?
Homes in North Carolina pay 14.94¢ per kWh on average, 18% less than the US average of 18.19¢: the 17th-lowest rate of the 50 states and DC.
For the median 6- to 7-seater that is $5 a month less than the same tub at the US average, about $60 a year.
The nearest rates to North Carolina's are South Dakota (14.50¢) and New Mexico (15.08¢). 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 North Carolina raise the cost?
Yes, in the colder months. North Carolina's January averages 40.8°F, the 11th-warmest of the 51. The coldest January in NOAA's 1991–2020 record, 2014, averaged 35.3°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 North Carolina January the gap is about 61°F, 24°F more than the test. Averaged over the year, North Carolina is 59.6°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. North Carolina's January, at 40.8°F, falls between the two, nearer the cold end. We don't turn that into a North Carolina 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 North Carolina 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 North Carolina?
About $102 a year for a 6- to 7-seater. The Nordic Hot Tubs Crown draws 131 W on standby against the 209 W median, $14 a month against $23 at North Carolina's rate.
The 6- to 7-seaters we track run from 131 W to 287 W, which in North Carolina is $204 a year apart, less than the $249 it would be at the US average. Every tub with a filing is ranked on the most energy-efficient hot tubs.
| AventineCaldera Spas · 2 to 3 seats | $12 | $59/yr |
|---|---|---|
| AptosHot Spring · 4 to 5 seats | $13 | $84/yr |
| CrownNordic Hot Tubs · 6 to 7 seats | $14 | $102/yr |
| J509Jacuzzi · 8 or more seats | $16 | $123/yr |
What else changes a hot tub's bill in North Carolina?
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 North Carolina 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 $7 at North Carolina's rate.
How much does a swim spa cost to run in North Carolina?
About $47 a month, or $564 a year, for the median swim spa at 14.94¢ 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 North Carolina?
About $23 a month for a typical 6- to 7-seat tub kept hot at North Carolina's average rate of 14.94¢ per kWh, for 153 kWh of measured standby. Across the 317 tubs with a California filing, standby costs $12 to $38 a month there. Soaking and refills add to it.
Is it more expensive to run a hot tub in North Carolina than in other states?
No. North Carolina's rate is the 17th-lowest of the 51, so the same tub costs 18% less to keep hot than at the US average: $23 a month against $28 for the median 6- to 7-seater.
Does a hot tub cost more to run in winter in North Carolina?
Yes. The standby figure is scaled to a 37°F gap between 102°F water and the air. North Carolina's January averages 40.8°F, a gap of about 61°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.BNorth Carolina 14.94¢ 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: North Carolina statewide, January average temperature40.8°F averaged over 1991–2020; coldest January 2014 at 35.3°F
- NOAA NCEI Climate at a Glance: North Carolina statewide, annual average temperature59.6°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)