Electricity consumption
How much does a North Wave hot tub use?
The full calculation, model by model, with its assumptions shown. Change your region, your tariff and your habits: the result follows.
Bødø 380 6+ seat hot tub
735 € per year
that is €61 per month, for 3,644 kWh used. Water at 38 °C, air at an average of 14 °C, covered hot tub.
Maintaining temperature
1,1 W/°C/m² × 8,7 m² × 24 °C difference × 8,760 h
2,021 kWh
€40755 %
Circulation and filtration
250 W × 3,650 h (pump run ten hours a day)
913 kWh
€18425 %
Massage
4 kW × 20 min × 3 baths per week
208 kWh
€426 %
Two reheats
8,300 L from 12 °C to 38 °C, twice a year
502 kWh
€10114 %
What the calculation assumes
- Air at an annual average of 14 °C (South-West, Météo-France normals 1991-2020).
- Water maintained at 38 °C all year round.
- Electricity at €0,2016 incl. VAT per kWh.
- Hot tub covered between uses, cover in good condition.
- A hot tub left idle in winter, drained, uses nothing but deteriorates: the calculation assumes use all year round.
The heat loss used is 1.1 W per degree of difference and per square metre of water surface, which is that of a well-insulated shell under a cover in good condition. North Wave hot tubs get triple Scandinavian insulation, rated R18 by the brand, and a 12 cm cover: we do not credit them with more than that, for lack of a measurement that says how much more. We prefer to publish these figures and have them challenged, rather than announce an amount without the reasoning behind it. See the insulation in detail.
Hot tubs, from least to most energy-hungry
Under the conditions chosen. The difference comes down to the water surface, not the number of jets.
- ModelPer yearPer month
- Stølen2 seats, 1,411 kWh€285€24
- Tønsberg3 seats, 1,470 kWh€296€25
- Rødberg3 seats, 1,533 kWh€309€26
- Sørrana5 seats, 1,617 kWh€326€27
- Bjørgan4 seats, 1,729 kWh€349€29
- Øppland5 seats, 1,729 kWh€349€29
- Drøbak4 seats, 1,747 kWh€352€29
- Tørrvika4 seats, 1,940 kWh€391€33
- Søvik6 seats, 1,940 kWh€391€33
- Sølveijg5 seats, 1,943 kWh€392€33
- Røgaland4 seats, 2,032 kWh€410€34
- Hølen5 seats, 2,071 kWh€417€35
Swim spas
Under the conditions chosen. The difference comes down to the water surface, not the number of jets.
- ModelPer yearPer month
- Bødø 3806 seats and up, 3,644 kWh€735€61
- Førde 4106 seats and up, 3,876 kWh€781€65
- Hørten 4506 seats and up, 4,110 kWh€829€69
- Øxførd 4806 seats and up, 4,266 kWh€860€72
- Nørdland 5506 seats and up, 4,675 kWh€942€79
- Vardø 5806 seats and up, 4,841 kWh€976€81
- Risør 6006 seats and up, 4,989 kWh€1,006€84
- Øslø 6006 seats and up, 4,995 kWh€1,007€84
- Sløvika 6006 seats and up, 5,007 kWh€1,009€84
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a North Wave hot tub use per year?
- Under the conditions selected above, from €285 to €417 per year for hot tubs, or €24 to €35 per month, and €735 to €1,009 for swim spas. The difference comes from the water surface to keep warm, and very little from the number of jets.
- What costs the most in a hot tub?
- Keeping the water at temperature, by a long way. Massage barely registers, because it only runs during bathing. That is why insulation matters more than equipment: a well-equipped, well-insulated hot tub uses less energy than a bare, poorly insulated one.
- Does the cover really make a difference?
- Yes, it is the biggest saving. Most of the heat is lost through the water's surface. A sagging, waterlogged or badly fitted cover roughly doubles surface losses, which the calculation reproduces when you choose 'Absent or worn'.
- Should you lower the temperature in winter or switch the hot tub off?
- Lowering the setpoint by 2 °C cuts the bill by about 8%, as the calculation shows. Switching it off completely is a false economy: you must drain it to prevent freezing, and reheating a full pool costs a good part of a month's running.
Your bill, for your installation
A calculation is still a calculation: your shelter, your exposure to wind and your habits matter too. At the Richwiller showroom, we go through the figures with you, electricity contract in hand.