How much it costs to run a hot tub in Rhode Island
Short answer
Keeping a typical 6- to 7-seat hot tub hot in Rhode Island costs about $45 a month, or $535 a year, at the state's average rate of 29.22¢ per kWh. The figure uses the median tub's measured standby draw of 209 W. With January averaging 29.1°F in Rhode Island, winter bills run above it.
| 2 to 3 seats | $32 | $23/moCaldera Spas Aventine |
|---|---|---|
| 4 to 5 seats | $39 | $26/moHot Spring Aptos |
| 6 to 7 seats | $45 | $28/moNordic Hot Tubs Crown |
| 8 or more seats | $52 | $32/moJacuzzi J509 |
| Swim spa | $92 | — |
How does Rhode Island's electricity rate compare?
Homes in Rhode Island pay 29.22¢ per kWh on average, 61% more than the US average of 18.19¢: the 6th-highest rate of the 50 states and DC.
For the median 6- to 7-seater that is $17 a month more than the same tub at the US average, about $202 a year.
The nearest rates to Rhode Island's are Connecticut (27.97¢) and New York (29.38¢). 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 Rhode Island raise the cost?
Yes. Rhode Island's January averages 29.1°F, below freezing and the 24th-coldest of the 51. The coldest January in NOAA's 1991–2020 record, 2004, averaged 20.2°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 Rhode Island January the gap is about 73°F, 36°F more than the test. Even averaged over the whole year, Rhode Island is 50.7°F, 14°F colder than the test assumes, so a tub there draws more than its listing for much of the year, not only in winter.
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. Rhode Island's January, at 29.1°F, is colder than the cold end of that example. We don't turn that into a Rhode Island 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 Rhode Island winter, treat them as a floor.
For a Rhode Island winter, compare standby watts within a size: the best hot tubs for cold climates ranks the lowest, and hot tub insulation explains how makers hold the heat.
How much does an efficient hot tub save in Rhode Island?
About $200 a year for a 6- to 7-seater. The Nordic Hot Tubs Crown draws 131 W on standby against the 209 W median, $28 a month against $45 at Rhode Island's rate.
The 6- to 7-seaters we track run from 131 W to 287 W, which in Rhode Island is $399 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 | $23 | $115/yr |
|---|---|---|
| AptosHot Spring · 4 to 5 seats | $26 | $165/yr |
| CrownNordic Hot Tubs · 6 to 7 seats | $28 | $200/yr |
| J509Jacuzzi · 8 or more seats | $32 | $241/yr |
What else changes a hot tub's bill in Rhode Island?
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; in a Rhode Island winter more of it escapes while the cover is off.
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 Rhode Island 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 $13 at Rhode Island's rate. Winter tap water in Rhode Island is colder than that, so it takes more.
How much does a swim spa cost to run in Rhode Island?
About $92 a month, or $1,103 a year, for the median swim spa at 29.22¢ 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 Rhode Island?
About $45 a month for a typical 6- to 7-seat tub kept hot at Rhode Island's average rate of 29.22¢ per kWh, for 153 kWh of measured standby. Across the 317 tubs with a California filing, standby costs $23 to $75 a month there. Soaking, refills and the cold add to it.
Is it more expensive to run a hot tub in Rhode Island than in other states?
Yes. Rhode Island's rate is the 6th-highest of the 51, so the same tub costs 61% more to keep hot than at the US average: $45 a month against $28 for the median 6- to 7-seater.
Does a hot tub cost more to run in winter in Rhode Island?
Yes. The standby figure is scaled to a 37°F gap between 102°F water and the air. Rhode Island's January averages 29.1°F, a gap of about 73°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.BRhode Island 29.22¢ 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: Rhode Island statewide, January average temperature29.1°F averaged over 1991–2020; coldest January 2004 at 20.2°F
- NOAA NCEI Climate at a Glance: Rhode Island statewide, annual average temperature50.7°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)