What a hot tub heater costs to run in Washington
Washington homes use 1,882 kWh a year on a hot tub heater. Priced on top of the rest of the bill, that costs $98.64 to $286.68 a year across 22 published Washington plans — a $188.04 gap. Checked September 2, 2026.
Every priced plan, average
| Plan | Per year | vs cheapest | Effective |
|---|---|---|---|
| Schedule RLC - Residential Low-Income: Citytime-of-use · tiered · low-income rate | $97.33 | −$1.31 | 4.4¢ |
| Schedule RLS-Residential Low-Income: Suburbantime-of-use · tiered · low-income rate | $97.33 | −$1.31 | 4.4¢ |
| Schedule RES-Residential Elderly/Disabled: Suburbantime-of-use · tiered · elderly or disabled customers only | $97.33 | −$1.31 | 4.4¢ |
| Schedule REC - Residential Elderly/Disabled: Citytime-of-use · tiered · elderly or disabled customers only | $97.39 | −$1.25 | 4.4¢ |
| RESIDENTIAL - SCHEDULE 35✓ cheapesttiered | $98.64 | — | 5.9¢ |
| Schedule RLB-Residential Low Income: Burientime-of-use · tiered · low-income rate | $102.16 | +$3.52 | 4.5¢ |
| Schedule REB-Residential Elderly/Disabled: Burientime-of-use · tiered · elderly or disabled customers only | $102.16 | +$3.52 | 4.5¢ |
| Schedule RLT-Residential Low-Income: Tukwilatime-of-use · tiered · low-income rate | $103.57 | +$4.93 | 4.6¢ |
| Schedule RET-Residential Elderly/Disabled: Tukwilatime-of-use · tiered · elderly or disabled customers only | $103.59 | +$4.95 | 4.6¢ |
| Schedule RLH- Residential Low-Income: Shorelinetime-of-use · tiered · low-income rate | $104.04 | +$5.40 | 4.6¢ |
| Schedule REH- Residential Elderly/Disabled: Shorelinetime-of-use · tiered · elderly or disabled customers only | $104.04 | +$5.40 | 4.6¢ |
| Schedule RLE-Residential Low Income: SeaTactime-of-use · tiered · low-income rate | $104.04 | +$5.40 | 4.6¢ |
| Schedule REE-Residential Elderly/Disabled: SeaTactime-of-use · tiered · elderly or disabled customers only | $104.04 | +$5.40 | 4.6¢ |
| Schedule RSC - Residential: Seattleflat rate | $261.96 | +$163.32 | 15.3¢ |
| Schedule RSE-Residential: Rentonflat rate | $265.44 | +$166.80 | 15.5¢ |
| Schedule RSL-Residential: Normandy Parkflat rate | $282.24 | +$183.60 | 16.4¢ |
| Schedule RST-Residential: Tukwilaflat rate | $284.40 | +$185.76 | 16.6¢ |
| Schedule RSE-Residential: SeaTacflat rate | $286.68 | +$188.04 | 16.7¢ |
| Schedule RSB-Residential: Burienflat rate | $286.68 | +$188.04 | 16.7¢ |
| Schedule RSH-Residential: Shorelineflat rate | $286.68 | +$188.04 | 16.7¢ |
| Schedule RSB-Residential: King Countyflat rate | $286.68 | +$188.04 | 16.7¢ |
| Schedule RSL-Residential: Lake Forest Parkflat rate | $286.68 | +$188.04 | 16.7¢ |
Cost across usage levels
The cheapest plan at each consumption level, showing whether the ranking holds as usage changes.
- Lighter use — cheapest $32.88 (RESIDENTIAL - SCHEDULE 35), dearest $95.52, a $62.64 spread
- Average — cheapest $98.64 (RESIDENTIAL - SCHEDULE 35), dearest $286.68, a $188.04 spread
- Heavier use — cheapest $144.12 (RESIDENTIAL - SCHEDULE 35), dearest $418.80, a $274.68 spread
What a hot tub heater costs here
Across 22 plans priced in Washington, a hot tub heater adds $98.64 to $286.68 a year — $8.22 to $23.89 a month. The median plan puts a hot tub heater at $285.54 a year.
Cheapest for a hot tub heater: RESIDENTIAL - SCHEDULE 35, Modern Electric Water Company. Dearest: Schedule RSL-Residential: Lake Forest Park, City of Seattle, Washington (Utility Company).
Those 1,882 kWh are billed at 5.2¢–15.2¢, against a 16.6¢ whole-bill average on the median plan, so on these plans the two rates are close.
What Washington homes use
EIA's 2020 residential survey found 1,882 kWh a year across 30 sampled homes that run one, 1.27× the national 1,479 kWh. The middle half spans 627 kWh to 2,749 kWh, so a hot tub heater varies by 2,122 kWh between one household and another.
Keeping the water hot across a year, which is most of what a hot tub costs. That average covers homes with an electrically heated hot tub — 6% of homes here.
That makes a hot tub heater about 17% of the electricity a Washington home uses. The remaining 9,109 kWh is what a hot tub heater is billed on top of, and on a tiered or time-of-use plan that is what sets the rate it meets.
By provider
On each Washington provider's cheapest plan: Modern Electric Water Company, $98.64; City of Seattle, Washington (Utility Company), $261.96.
City of Seattle, Washington (Utility Company) charges $163.32 a year more than Modern Electric Water Company on RESIDENTIAL - SCHEDULE 35 for the same 1,882 kWh.
Light and heavy use of a hot tub heater
A household in the lighter quarter runs a hot tub heater for 627 kWh a year and pays $32.88 on the cheapest plan. One in the heavier quarter runs it for 2,749 kWh and pays $144.12 — $111.24 more for a hot tub heater on the same tariff.
Limits
A 2020 survey average for Washington, not a measurement of any one home, priced against the 22 Washington tariffs WattClear has ingested — not every plan sold there.
New to these terms? The methodology page explains tiered bands, time-of-use periods and fixed charges, and sets out exactly what the rate engine assumes.
Estimate — your actual bill may differ.
Tariff structures from NREL/OpenEI Utility Rate Database (CC0 1.0), retrieved September 2, 2026.
Location resolved through the US Census Bureau Geocoder (Public domain) at 47.6588, -117.4260.