As exciting as it can be to buy your first hot tub, you’re also probably aware that it won’t be free to run. Needless to say, if you’re using your new tub every day, you’ll almost certainly find your hot tub running costs quickly increasing on top of your hot tub maintenance requirements.

However, none of this is to say you can’t or shouldn’t use your hot tub every day. In fact, with the right tips and tricks, you can quickly make your hot tub more energy efficient, helping you to save money on your hot tub water and electricity costs in the long run, no matter how often you want to use it.

Take a look below to learn more about our top tips for running a hot tub economically, including advice on maintaining your hot tub’s temperature, heat pump use, and getting the most out of your hot tub’s cover.

The cheapest way to run a hot tub in the UK

As a general rule of thumb, most energy-efficient hot tubs have the same things in common – smart owners and efficient systems. So, once you’ve taken your hot tub for a quick spin and gotten used to how it functions and operates, you should take the time to familiarise yourself with the tips below in order to boost your tub’s efficiency:

  1. Lower your hot tub’s base temperature
  2. Make use of your hot tub’s cover
  3. Clean your hot tub filters regularly
  4. Check your hot tub’s filter cycle
  5. Keep your hot tub clean
  6. Invest in an air-source heat pump
  7. Turn your hot tub off when not in use
  8. Reduce how often you use your hot tub

1. Lower your hot tub’s base temperature

First things first, one of the best ways to make your hot tub more energy efficient is to lower its base temperature. In essence, this simply means lowering the temperature you usually operate it at by several degrees to ease the pressure on your heating pump. For example, dropping your water temperature from 38 degrees to 32 degrees.

It might not seem it, but even dropping your tub’s water temperature by a couple of degrees can save you substantial costs. Think of it like turning down the heating in your home – it won’t be boiling, but it’ll still be an ideal hot tub temperature. And as an added bonus, your water will heat up quicker, meaning your heat pump be on less.

2. Make use of your hot tub’s cover

Alongside using a lower water temperature, most energy-efficient hot tubs benefit from extensive use of their hot tub cover, meaning that their covers are on in order to retain heat whenever your hot tub is not in use.

Doing this has two key cost-saving advantages – it helps to retain water temperature and evaporation between uses, and it makes it faster for your tub to heat up as it’s not warming the water from scratch.

Most hot tub covers typically last for 5 years, depending on usage, and new covers tend to be much better insulated than older ones, so make sure you replace your hot tub cover once it starts to lose its insulative properties.

3. Clean your hot tub filters regularly

If you’re still new to hot tub ownership, you’re probably in the process of setting up a regular hot tub draining and cleaning routine, part of which should include cleaning your hot tub filters on a regular basis.

This is because it’s much harder for dirty filters to clean your tub’s water, which in turn will make your hot tub’s systems work harder. So, by keeping them clean, you can ensure your tub is running at maximum filtration efficiency.

4. Check your hot tub’s filter cycle

Just as important as cleaning your hot tub’s filters, knowing how your hot tub’s filter cycle operates, and when, is essential for ensuring that you’re not overworking your tub’s internal systems.

Generally speaking, we’d recommend, setting your hot tub filter cycle to run for two 2-hour filtration cycles per day when in operation, though you may want to run this for longer or less, depending on your hot tub’s size and the number of people using it.

5. Keep your hot tub clean

Much like keeping your hot tub’s filters free of dirt and mould, keeping your hot tub clean in general is essential to ensure that all of its parts continue to operate without unforeseen interruptions.

Simply put, if you don’t keep your hot tub clean, dirt and limescale will begin to build up in its pipes and filtration systems, forcing your tub to work harder to operate properly and increasing its energy use. Not only that, but it could even result in your tub’s systems breaking, leading to expensive replacements and servicing fees.

6. Invest in an air-source heat pump

Widely considered one of the most economical and energy-efficient ways to heat a hot tub or a swim spa, making use of a tub with an air source heat pump comes with a whole host of cost-saving benefits, including:

  • Savings on your hot tub’s heating bills
  • Fast heating speeds
  • Functionality all year round, even during the winter, and down to -15 degrees external temperature
  • Self-regulating and timer-controlled systems so that your tub’s heating system only activates when necessary.

Although somewhat expensive to install if you’re hot tub is not already equipped with one, investing in an air pump now will almost certainly save you money in future hot tub use costs.

7. Turn your hot tub off when not in use

It might seem like an obvious piece of advice, but unless you’ve been using your hot tub for a while, it might not occur to you to turn off its various systems besides its heater when your tub is not in use.

However, by turning off all your tub’s bells and whistles, e.g., its lights, jets, and blowers, you’ll cumulatively save on your running costs over time, which could equate to an extra day or more of hot tub use.

8. Reduce how often you use your hot tub

Last, but not least, perhaps the one single way to save money when running your hot tub is to reduce how often you use it. After all, as we mentioned at the start of this guide, if you use your hot tub every day, your running costs will be high.

So, if you can, it’s best to reserve using your hot tub for those bright weekend afternoons or after those long and stressful days when you really need to destress your body and take some time to unwind in peace without thinking about how much it’s costing you to run your hot tub.

Find an energy-efficient hot tub with Platinum Spas

And there you have it; those are our top tips for how to run a hot tub economically. By making liberal use of these pieces of advice, you’ll certainly be able to reduce some of the costs associated with running your hot tub and help save on your energy bills.

Of course, if you want to ensure that your hot tub itself is as economical as possible, then you should take a look at the Platinum Spas hot tub range. Built using modern hot tub technology and designed with energy efficiency in mind, all of our tubs are properly insulated in order to retain maximum heat during use.

Why not book an appointment at your nearest hot tub showroom to see our products in person? And don’t forget to visit our hot tub owners’ hub for more detailed guides like this one.

Ellie-Mae Morris
Latest posts by Ellie-Mae Morris (see all)

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