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With the blistering Australian sun baking this great land it’s hardly surprising that our nation has the highest per capita rate of home pool ownership in the world. But while it’s just the thing for making the summer more bearable, for many households running a pool involves considerable extra expense. As things heat up, here’s how to minimise those costs.
Keep a lid on it
Covers aren’t just for keeping leaves out of the water – putting a well-fitting cover over your pool when it’s not being used can save up to 30,000 litres of water evaporating each year. Pool covers also help to keep heat in the water, making them a necessity for cutting your power bill.
Pump action
If you’re putting in a new pool or replacing some parts, choose your pump wisely. While an energy-efficient pump may cost more to purchase, it could save a lot of money on your power bill over the coming years. For example, Your Energy Savings reports that a 2-star rated pump could cost around $285 more to run each year than an 8-star version.
Put the chemicals in at night
The time of day you add the chemicals into your pool can save you money, too. During the day, the sunlight degrades chlorine, so it’s best to add it in at night. This can cut up to half of your chemical costs and, as a bonus, gives that chlorine a good chance to settle in and do its job before the sun rises on another big day of swimming.
Off-peak pumping
If you have off-peak electricity, one major way to cut back your electricity costs is to run the pool pump during your off-peak tariff period. Off-peak is when your electricity rate is at its cheapest. The times vary, depending on your location and meter type, but off-peak is usually at night or on weekends. You’ll need to check with your council before running your pump out of hours, though: some areas have restrictions on the times they can run.
What about winter?
While it’s tempting to simply switch off your pool during the cooler months, this leaves a huge amount of cleaning to be done – and electricity to be used – when summer hits. It can be more economical to keep your pool maintained all year round. The best way is to adjust the filter to operate for a couple of hours each day, and spend a little time every few weeks cleaning the filters and maintaining the chlorination levels.
Now all that’s left to do is wait for the sun to come out, then jump in and enjoy the refreshing coolness of that beautiful pool!
