The first cost to consider is your initial investment, which, of course, factors into the budgeting. While it might seem counter-intuitive to spend more initially if you’re looking to save, but you might be able to find a more efficient or economical model that costs a little more but saves you cash in the long term.
The average cost of a hot tub is £7,000 if you’re looking for a hot tub that offers both value and features to go with it. Having said this, the hot tub market is vast and there are so many price points within this to look at and consider, all with varying running costs.
Here are the average hot tub prices based on size
| Type | Seats | Size | Depth | Price Range |
| Small | 2 | Under 200cm | 2’4″ – 2’9″ feet | £3,000 – £9,000 |
| 3 | Under 200cm | 2’4″ – 2’9″ feet | £3,000 – £9,000 | |
| Medium | 4 | 200cm – 220cm | 2’7″ – 3’2″ feet | £4,000 – £9,000 |
| 5 | 200cm – 240cm | 2’7″ – 3’2″ feet | £4,000 – £9,000 | |
| 6 | 200cm – 240cm | 2’7″ – 3’2″ feet | £4,000 – £12,000 | |
Large | 7 | 210cm – 250cm | 3′ – 3’3″ feet | £4,000 – £12,000+ |
| 8 | 230cm – 250cm | 3′ – 3’3″ feet | £4,000 – £16,000+ | |
| Swim Spa | 360cm – 640cm long and around 240cm wide | 4’ – 5’ feet | £15,000 – £40,000+ |
Running costs
Electricity
A hot tub uses between 3.5 and 6 kWh of energy per day, so based on the current cap you can expect to pay around £1 – £2 per day, which is between £30 to £60 per month.
According to Ofgem, there have been changes to the energy price cap that mean that as of January 2024, electricity will cost 29p/kWh.
How tubs are designed to stay on all of the time, so they are built with constant use in mind to be as energy efficient as they can be. It would be counterproductive to turn off the hot tub and reheat it every time you want to use it.
Maintenance
A regular maintenance schedule is imperative for the longevity and lifespan of your hot tub.
Here’s a list of the costs and what you’ll need to maintain your tub.
Hot tub sanitiser
£10 for half a kilogram and about £35 for 5kg of solution. Realistically, you’re going to be using a tiny bit at a time, so the cost for this will be factored into your monthly hot tub maintenance, but keep an eye on your chlorine levels for safe usage.
Your hot tub chemicals
Hot tub chemicals cost about £16-£25 a month, but how much you use each time will vary. This is why it is important to continually check the levels of the tub, so you can make sure the water is safe to use and you’re not unnecessarily adding chemicals if you don’t need to be.
Shock treatment
Shock treatment costs around £20 for 1kg of shock. You’ll be using roughly 150g per shock treatment, depending on how much water your hot tub holds, so you can look to spend about £3 per shock treatment on your hot tub.
Hot tub filter cleaning solution
You’re looking at about £7 for a small bottle, or you can buy something larger if you have somewhere to store it for £17. You need around 500ml of solution per clean, so if you buy one for £17 that has around 10 treatments inside, you’re looking at £1.70 per thorough filter clean.
An annual service
Do your research and choose someone local to you who has good knowledge and experience.
The cost – a professional service is around £150-£200.
Chemicals
You will not need to buy chemicals every time that you use them, and so we have averaged the cost above across the year. But, these include cleaning products, chlorine, testing strips, shock treatments, all to keep your hot tub running smoothly and safely.
Water
Water costs will vary depending on where you live and the rates you are on, but you can roughly look to spend between £5 – £10 every time you fill up your hot tub.
Note that you should refill your hot tub every three to four months, conducting a total drain, clean, and refill to keep the water clean and the hot tub sanitary, too.
| Cost | Monthly Cost | Annual Cost | Considerations |
| Electric | £30-£60 | £360-£720 | Electric rates vary |
| Maintenance | £38 | £450 | These are annual costs – so consider saving monthly for them! |
| Chemicals | £16-£25 | £200-£300 | You won’t need to use these all every single time |
| Water | £2-£4 | £20-£40 | Based on refilling every four months |
| Total | £86-£127 | £1,030-£1,510 | These are all average figures for you to consider |
What directly affects your hot tub running costs?
Insulation
The better the insulation of your hot tub, the less electricity it is going to have to use to keep it warm. This might seem like a small detail, but better insulated tubs can have a big impact on overall heating costs.
Your energy provider
We all have different tariffs and this is why it is so important to shop around. You can keep an eye on Martin Lewis for his reviews and expertise, but always compare and look for better deals to drive those costs down.
Your hot tub usage
Hot tubs are designed to be left on all of the time, and so they are built with this constant use in mind. But, how often you actually use the tub will impact costs, as hot tubs lose most of their heat through the surface of the water, so if you spend more time in the tub, it will have to spend more energy heating it back to the desired temperature. This also goes for using the hot tub in colder weather, too, as the ambient temperature will have an impact on the water temperature inside the tub, which is why it will cost you more to heat your tub in winter.
Good quality cover
A good cover is one of the best ways to keep the heat inside your hot tub. Because they’re left on all of the time, you want to retain as much heat as you can. Covers are not all made equal, and some of them are much better than others. Look at the reviews and ask questions around your hot tub cover to make sure you’re keeping as much hot air in.
Energy saving mode
Most hot tubs have an energy saving mode which is a great feature if you are cost conscious. This mode drops the temperature right down during certain hours without turning the tub off, meaning you save money when you’re not in your tub, and you can crank up the heat when you are going to spend time in it.
Clean the filter
A dirty filter makes a hot tub work harder. Clean out the filter to make sure your hot tub is running as efficiently as possible, as it can impact other areas of your tub including how it heats up – everything is interlinked.
