How much electricity does a hot tub use? Running cost and solar cover for a holiday let

Quick answer

A hot tub typically uses 4 to 8 kWh of electricity a day once it is up to temperature, according to one 2026 consumer guide, and a covered tub in a mild autumn spell can need about 12.6 kWh a day, according to another. At the Ofgem price cap of 26.32p per kWh that is roughly £1.05 to £3.32 a day. For a holiday let the number is the same in kWh terms but the pattern is harder: the tub is reheated for each new arrival, it runs through winter weeks, and it is often the largest single load on the property.

Key takeaway: the running cost is set by the cover, the insulation, the water temperature and the weather, not by the brand. What solar can do about it depends on timing as much as on the size of the array, because the heater runs when the tub needs heat, not when the sun is up.

How many kWh does a hot tub use per day?

Two independent consumer guides give the range, and they do not agree, which is itself the answer. HouseholdMoneySaving (February 2026) says an inflatable tub uses around 4 to 8 kWh a day once heated, with winter costs 30 to 60% higher. Selectra (updated 31 October 2026) works through an inflatable tub in autumn: warming 900 litres by 1°C takes about 1.05 kWh, a covered tub in a sheltered spot loses about half a degree an hour, so the heater must recover about 12°C a day, which is 12.6 kWh.

Both agree on what moves the number: water volume, insulation, the cover, the water temperature you hold, the air temperature and the wind. Selectra puts evaporation at 30 to 50% of heat loss and says an insulated lid cancels almost all of it, and that leaving the lid off raises consumption by about half.

What a hot tub costs to run at the price cap

The table uses the Ofgem price cap unit rate of 26.32p per kWh (GB average, direct debit, 1 October to 31 December 2026). Your own rate will differ, and it changes every quarter. Multiply your kWh by your own rate for your figure.

Use per day	Cost per day	30 days (kWh)	30 days (cost)
4 kWh (low end, efficient and covered)	£1.05	120	£31.58
6 kWh (mid range)	£1.58	180	£47.38
8 kWh (upper end of the typical range)	£2.11	240	£63.17
12.6 kWh (covered tub, mild autumn, Selectra estimate)	£3.32	378	£99.49

Hot tub running cost calculator

Enter your own figures. The defaults are the mid-range case above.

What a holiday let adds to the bill

A tub in a family garden is used a few times a week. A holiday-let tub is expected to be hot and clean at every changeover, so three things change:

• Reheats. Selectra estimates a reheat from about 16°C to 36°C at 21 kWh of heat, close to 30 kWh including losses and the soak, about £7.90 at 26.32p. A refill in spring is similar, about 30 kWh.
• Winter. HouseholdMoneySaving says winter costs can be 30 to 60% higher. Holiday lets that stay open outside the summer carry that.
• Guest behaviour. A lid left off raises consumption by about half (Selectra). A sign on the lid and a lid that is easy to lift are the cheapest efficiency measures a host has.

Per night, the arithmetic is simple: kWh per day multiplied by the unit rate. At 6 kWh and 26.32p a night costs about £1.58 to keep the tub warm; a three-night stay is about £4.74 before any reheat. Those are the sourced ranges applied to a stay, not a measurement of your tub.

How much of it can solar cover?

Solar output is seasonal, and so is a holiday let. The table shows the monthly output of a 4 kWp roof array in two holiday-let areas, from the European Commission’s PVGIS tool (fixed 35° tilt, south-facing, 14% system losses, PVGIS-SARAH3 weather data 2005 to 2023). Set it beside the monthly tub figures above: 180 kWh for a mid-range tub, 378 kWh for the high autumn estimate.

Month	St Ives, Cornwall (kWh)	Windermere, Cumbria (kWh)
Jan	153	100
Feb	230	170
Mar	361	294
Apr	496	428
May	524	477
Jun	520	452
Jul	516	447
Aug	488	396
Sep	393	318
Oct	279	201
Nov	174	134
Dec	121	86
Year	4254	3504

Read against a mid-range 180 kWh a month, the array out-generates the tub from February to October in Cornwall and from March to October at Windermere, and falls short from November to January (and in February at Windermere). Against the 378 kWh estimate the array covers it from April to September at St Ives and from April to August at Windermere, and not at all in the winter months. A west-facing or shaded roof will give less.

Monthly totals are not the same as coverage. A heater that runs through the night, or a pump schedule that is not tied to daylight, only uses solar when the sun is up. A battery stores midday output for the evening reheat, which is the case made in our battery comparison for holiday lets, and a heater schedule moved to daylight hours uses the output directly. The indicative system costs for a hot-tub cottage are on the cost guide, and you can model a payback on the savings calculator.

Ways to cut a holiday-let hot tub bill

• Fit and use a tight, insulated cover. It is the largest single saving in both guides.
• Lower the temperature between stays rather than switching off. HouseholdMoneySaving’s author does this because reheating a large volume uses a lot of energy.
• Shelter the tub from the wind. Selectra shows a steady breeze raising consumption sharply with the lid off.
• Measure it. A plug-in energy meter for a week turns a range into your own number.
• Time the heating. If you have solar, move heater and filtration schedules into daylight where the tub allows it.

If you are weighing a hot tub against the whole energy picture of the property, our guide to whether solar panels are worth it for a holiday let puts the tub in the context of the other loads.

Frequently asked questions

How much electricity does a hot tub use per day?

Roughly 4 to 8 kWh a day for an inflatable tub once it is heated, according to HouseholdMoneySaving (February 2026). A Selectra estimate updated on 31 October 2026 puts a covered tub in a mild autumn spell at about 12.6 kWh a day. Cover, insulation, water volume, wind and the water and air temperature all move the figure, so measure yours with a plug-in energy meter for a week.

How much does it cost to run a hot tub for a month?

At the Ofgem price cap of 26.32p per kWh (GB average, direct debit, 1 October to 31 December 2026), 4 kWh a day is about £31.58 over 30 days, 6 kWh is about £47.38, 8 kWh is about £63.17 and 12.6 kWh is about £99.49. Your tariff may differ, and a business supply may not be on the price cap.

Can solar panels power a hot tub?

In energy terms over a year, yes in the sunnier months: a 4 kWp array in Cornwall generates about 520 kWh in May against a mid-range tub’s 180 kWh. It falls below that in the darkest months, and a heater that runs overnight only uses solar if a battery or a daytime schedule shifts the energy.

Is it cheaper to leave a hot tub on or switch it off between guests?

The sources suggest lowering the temperature rather than switching off. HouseholdMoneySaving’s author recommends lowering it between sessions, and Selectra estimates a reheat from about 16°C to 36°C at close to 30 kWh including losses and the soak, about £7.90 at 26.32p. Measure your own tub before you decide.

The verdict

Budget a holiday-let hot tub at roughly £30 to £100 a month in electricity at today’s price cap, towards the top end if it is used all winter, and measure it. Solar can cover most of it from spring to autumn but does little in December, and the timing of the heater decides how much of that cover you actually use. The sizing and payback for a whole holiday let are on our main page for solar panels for holiday lets.

Sources: HouseholdMoneySaving (9 February 2026); Selectra (updated 31 October 2026); Ofgem price cap unit rate 26.32p per kWh (1 October to 31 December 2026); European Commission PVGIS. The figures are estimates from consumer guides, not measurements of a particular tub. For a specific property, send an enquiry and we reply by email.