Running cost comes down to wattage, hours and your rate. In Massachusetts the rate is 28.82 cents per kWh, which is 56.3 percent above the national average. Here is what that means for a hot tub.
A hot tub drawing 1,500 W costs $0.43 per hour in Massachusetts. Run 4 hours a day that is $1.73 daily, $51.88 a month and $631 a year, which is $227 more than the same appliance at the US average rate.
Cost by hours used per day in Massachusetts
| Hours/day | Energy | Per day | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 h | 1.50 kWh | $0.43 | $12.97 |
| 2 h | 3.00 kWh | $0.86 | $25.94 |
| 4 h | 6.00 kWh | $1.73 | $51.88 |
| 6 h | 9.00 kWh | $2.59 | $77.81 |
| 8 h | 12.00 kWh | $3.46 | $104 |
| 12 h | 18.00 kWh | $5.19 | $156 |
| 24 h | 36.00 kWh | $10.38 | $311 |
Cost by wattage at 28.82 cents
| Rated power | Per hour | Per day | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000 W | $0.29 | $1.15 | $34.58 |
| 1,500 W | $0.43 | $1.73 | $51.88 |
| 3,000 W | $0.86 | $3.46 | $104 |
| 4,500 W | $1.30 | $5.19 | $156 |
| 6,000 W | $1.73 | $6.92 | $208 |
Find the row matching the nameplate on your own unit. Within a single appliance category the spread is often wider than the difference between categories, so the label is worth reading.
What this means in Massachusetts
This appliance runs on much the same schedule regardless of climate, so the figure above is a reasonable year-round estimate for Massachusetts. What changes it is your own usage pattern rather than the weather.
Why Massachusetts pays what it does
Massachusetts has a competitive retail electricity market, so the rate used here blends households on the utility default with households on shopped supply plans. If you have never switched supplier you are probably on the default, which is usually the more expensive side of that blend. Only the generation portion of your bill changes when you switch; delivery and outage response do not.
At 28.82 cents, Massachusetts ranks 47 of 51 from cheapest to most expensive. The Northeast regional average is 25.91 cents. Roughly half of any residential bill is transmission and distribution rather than generation, which is why rates keep climbing even when fuel prices fall.
How this compares across the country
The same hot tub on the same schedule, in the cheapest and dearest states:
| State | Rate | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Idaho | 12.35¢ | $22.23 | $270 |
| Utah | 12.96¢ | $23.33 | $284 |
| Massachusetts | 28.82¢ | $51.88 | $631 |
| California | 33.25¢ | $59.85 | $728 |
| Hawaii | 52.00¢ | $93.60 | $1,139 |
Lowering the number in Massachusetts
- Replace a waterlogged cover. A saturated cover conducts heat instead of blocking it, around the clock.
- Drop the setpoint a few degrees. Every degree reduces the gradient the heater fights.
- Use economy or sleep mode between uses. Cheaper than holding full temperature, without the long reheat of switching off.
- Shelter it from wind. An exposed tub loses heat far faster.
- Do not switch it off between weekly uses. Reheating from cold costs more than holding temperature.
Offsetting it with solar in Massachusetts
This load uses about 6.00 kWh a day. Covering that would take roughly 5 standard 400 W panels at typical sun hours, an array of about 2.00 kW. Because it offsets electricity worth 28.82 cents rather than the national 18.44 cents, the same array is worth more here than the national payback figures suggest.
The heater runs on its own schedule including overnight, which makes this a storage problem rather than a panel problem. Full sizing, including battery and inverter requirements, is on the solar sizing page for this appliance.
Questions people actually ask
[hed_faq]How much does it cost to run a hot tub in Massachusetts?About $0.43 per hour and $51.88 a month at 4 hours a day, using the Massachusetts average rate of 28.82 cents per kWh.
How many watts does a hot tub use?Around 1,500 W while running, with a range of roughly 1,000 to 6,000 W depending on model and setting.
Is that expensive for Massachusetts?Massachusetts electricity runs 56.3 percent above the national average, so this appliance costs $227 more per year here than it would at the US average rate.
Can I lower this without replacing the appliance?Usually yes. Run time is the variable you control, and the hours table above shows exactly what each hour costs. In Massachusetts you can also shop for a cheaper supply rate, which lowers every figure on this page proportionally.[/hed_faq]