Estimating Swimming Pool Gas Heating Costs and Savings

Here you'll find information to help estimate annual gas heating costs for an outdoor swimming pool and/or savings if you replace a gas pool heater with one that's more energy efficient.

The table below estimates annual costs by location, by water temperature, and with or without using a pool cover.

Table 1. Costs of Outdoor Pool Gas Heating by Location*
Location	Season	Temperature
Location	Season	78°	80°	82°
Miami	1/1–12/31	$2136	$2848	$3600
w/cover	1/1–12/31	$416	$584	$800
Phoenix	3/1–10/31	$1384	$1776	$2216
w/ cover	3/1–10/31	$96	$168	$256
Dallas	4/1–10/31	$1512	$1920	$2456
w/ cover	4/1–10/31	$184	$280	$408
Atlanta	4/1–10/31	$1704	$2248	$2880
w/ cover	4/1–10/31	$320	$424	$592
Los Angeles	5/1–10/31	$1864	$2376	$2904
w/ cover	5/1–10/31	$168	$304	$472
Kansas City	5/1–10/31	$1434	$1872	$2384
w/ cover	5/1–10/31	$288	$416	$544
New York	5/1–9/30	$1448	$1904	$2384
w/ cover	5/1–9/30	$208	$296	$400
Chicago	5/1–9/30	$1621	$2072	$2536
w/ cover	5/1–9/30	$216	$296	$384
Denver	5/1–8/31	$1757	$2120	$2498
w/ cover	5/1–8/31	$123	$168	$243
Boston	5/1–8/31	$1712	$2096	$2504
w/ cover	5/1–8/31	$232	$328	$461
Minneapolis	6/1–9/30	$1331	$1776	$2176
w/ cover	6/1–9/30	$192	$248	$384
San Francisco	6/1–8/31	$1560	$1856	$2168
w/ cover	6/1–8/31	$192	$320	$472
Seattle	6/1–8/31	$1525	$1784	$2056
w/ cover	6/1–8/31	$304	$424	$552

*Figures based on a 1,000 square-foot, outdoor pool heated with an 80% efficient natural gas heater at $.80 per therm and uncovered for 8 hours per day.

If you're replacing a gas pool heater, you can use the following formula to determine your annual cost savings with a higher efficiency gas pool heater model: