U.S. residential electricity EIA data: July 2026 US average 18.3¢/kWh Updated
Appliances Rates by state Compare Calculators Reports Methodology About

Outdoor & Garage · Iowa

How Much Does It Cost to Run a Pool Pump in Iowa?

The short answer

Running a 1,500W pool pump in Iowa costs about $0.24 an hour. At 8 hours a day, that’s roughly $58.37 a month and $700 a year.

That’s based on Iowa’s average residential rate of 16.0¢/kWh (EIA, July 2026), 13% below the US average.

Source: U.S. EIA, July 2026 data · Updated

Pool Pump cost by daily use in Iowa

Cost at 16.0¢/kWh, the Iowa average (EIA, Jul 2026)
Daily usekWh/monthPer dayPer monthPer year
1 hour/day 45.6 $0.24 $7.30 $87.55
2 hours/day 91.3 $0.48 $14.59 $175
4 hours/day 182.5 $0.96 $29.18 $350
8 hours/day 365.0 $1.92 $58.37 $700
12 hours/day 547.6 $2.88 $87.55 $1,051
24 hours/day 1,095.1 $5.76 $175 $2,101

Iowa vs other states

At typical use, a pool pump costs $700 a year in Iowa — $1,402 less than in Hawaii and $143 more than in Louisiana.

Iowa has the 24th-cheapest residential electricity of the 50 states and DC. Iowa electricity rates · all states ranked

Electricity price trend in Iowa

16.0¢/kWh in July 2026 — ▲ +4.4% from a year earlier.

How to lower the cost of running a pool pump

Pool pumps can be one of the biggest electricity users in a home with a pool because they run for many hours every day of the season. A single-speed 1–2 HP pump typically draws 1,000–2,500W. Variable-speed pumps are dramatically more efficient: running at low speed for longer moves the same water with a fraction of the energy, which is why many states now require them for new installs.

  • Switch to a variable-speed pump — savings of 50–80% are common.
  • Run the pump only as long as needed to turn over the water once a day.
  • Keep skimmer baskets and filters clean so the pump doesn't strain.
  • Summers in Iowa are relatively mild, so cooling costs are concentrated in a few hot weeks each year.

Questions

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to run a pool pump for 24 hours in Iowa?

Running a 1,500W pool pump for 24 hours uses about 36.0 kWh, which costs about $5.76 at Iowa’s average rate of 16.0¢/kWh.

How many kWh does a pool pump use per month?

At 8 hours a day, a typical pool pump uses about 365 kWh a month. In Iowa that costs $58.37.

Is it expensive to run a pool pump in Iowa?

Iowa has the 24th-cheapest residential electricity of the 50 states and DC at 16.0¢/kWh — close to the middle of the pack. Running a pool pump here costs about $700 a year at typical use, compared with $802 at the national average rate.

What is the electricity rate in Iowa right now?

The average residential electricity rate in Iowa was 16.0¢ per kWh in July 2026, according to the latest EIA data — up 4.4% from a year earlier.

Pool Pump costs in nearby states

Cheapest and priciest states

Sources & method