How much does it cost to run a hot tub per month in BC?
The One Model typically costs $15 to $25 a month to run in BC, depending on how much you use it. Its measured energy rating, from the CEC approval, is still to come. Here is what drives the cost and what to ask any seller.
What decides what a hot tub costs to run?
A hot tub uses electricity to move water and to heat it. The pump and the heater draw power, and the One Model's salt system uses electricity to make chlorine from salt.
Heat also escapes. It leaves through the cabinet and through the cover. A foam cover that has soaked up rain and snowmelt lets more heat out. The King County public health hot tub guide (Seattle and King County, Washington) says a floating cover reduces evaporation and helps keep the water temperature. It adds that outdoors a floating cover can be used with a hard cover to further reduce water and heat loss.
How does the One Model handle this?
The cabinet walls have perimeter insulation, like a house. The Smartop Upright 3.0 hard cover is included. It is a hard cover that does not absorb water, so it stays light.
The One Model has two pumps. The water pump runs 24 hours a day and does the filtration, the ozone, the salt system and the heating. The variable-speed pump runs the massage. Because the water pump runs all day, the tub is always cleaning its water and keeping it warm.
- Perimeter insulation on the cabinet walls
- A hard cover that does not absorb water, included
- A water pump that runs 24 hours a day
- A variable-speed pump that runs the massage
- A dedicated 240V, 50-amp circuit
Where does the $15 to $25 figure come from?
The $15 to $25 a month is Good Hot Tubs' typical figure for the One Model, and it depends on how much you use the tub. The tub's energy test results come with its CEC approval and are still to come. They will give a measured number.
The features above describe the build. The test results will describe the energy use.
What should you ask any seller about running cost?
Ask for the rating and for the name of the test or approval behind it. A number with no source is a guess, and you should treat it that way.
Ask what the figure assumes, because a number means little without its conditions. Then put the same questions to each tub and compare the answers.
- What is the heater rating?
- How does the energy rating measure the tub, and who published it?
- Does the figure include a cover on the tub, and which cover?
- How much of the day do the pumps run?
- What does the cover do when it is wet?
- Where can I see the rating in writing?
How do you compare running costs between two tubs?
Compare how each tub is built. Look at how the cabinet walls are insulated, what the cover is made of and what it does when it is wet, and how many pumps run and for how long.
Then ask for the heater rating and the energy rating, and compare the same figures between tubs. A seller who gives you a flat monthly number with no rating behind it has told you very little.
Your own electricity rate turns energy used into dollars. When the One Model's rating is out, put your rate against it and you will see the number for your house. Until then, the typical figure is $15 to $25 a month.
What does winter on Vancouver Island change?
In freezing weather, the King County guide says to keep the pump running. The One Model's water pump runs 24 hours a day, so it already does that job.
The $15 to $25 a month is a typical figure, and it depends on use. If winter costs matter to you, ask the team on the video call.
What can you do now?
Check the build on the specifications page. Ask for a test soak on Vancouver Island and see the tub in person. Answer the ten-question check, so you know whether the One Model fits your yard and how you would use it.
Orders open January 1, 2027. If the running cost matters to your decision, say so when you send your result. The team replies by email.
Questions
How much does it cost to run a hot tub in the winter?
The One Model typically costs $15 to $25 a month to run, depending on use. Its measured energy rating is still to come.
How much does a hot tub add to your electricity bill?
That depends on the tub and on your own electricity rate. The One Model typically adds $15 to $25 a month, depending on use.
Does a hot tub cover change what it costs to run?
Heat escapes through the cover as well as the cabinet. The King County guide says a floating cover reduces evaporation and helps keep the water temperature. The One Model's hard cover does not absorb water.
Should a hot tub run all day?
The One Model's water pump runs 24 hours a day for filtration, ozone, salt and heat. That is how the water stays clean and warm.
Sources
General facts on this page come from these public sources. Facts about the One Model come from Good Hot Tubs.
- Staying Happy and Healthy in Your Hot Tub, sixth edition (PDF). Public Health, Seattle and King County.
Related answers
Is the One Model right for you?
Ten questions about your home and how you would use a hot tub. You see your result before you give any contact details, and you can ask for a test soak on Vancouver Island when you send it.