The recent rises in energy prices have left a lot of people worrying about switching on their hot tubs or even purchasing one in the first place. Hopefully today we can be of some help with 12 top tips to help lower the cost of your hot tub energy bills.
1. Buy a well-built and really well insulated hot tub!
A well-insulated hot tub will retain the heat much better and mean your hot tubs heater won’t need to be activated nearly as much to maintain consistent heat levels. Buying a poor quality model with little or rubbish insulation used will not retain heat within the cabinetry, meaning the heater will work triple time, tripling your energy costs! A hot tub with great insulation is pictured above in one of our Serenity Hot Tubs.
2. Make sure you have a well-insulated cover.
One that fits your hot tub correctly! There’s no point in having a cover if it’s loose on top and not fitted correctly so always ensure that the clips are securely fastened to create a tight seal. You could also install a cover lifter which will make your cover less likely to become damaged. If a cover does get damaged, it can become waterlogged meaning your heater will have to work overtime to ensure the hot tub’s temperature is maintained. Also, a good hot tub cover has a continuous heat seal (as shown below). This seal looks like an extra flap of insulation as it sits inside the hinged part of the hot tub cover to seal the hinge when the hot tub cover is closed stopping any heat from escaping for maximum energy efficiency!
3. Ensure your hot tub is set to a consistent temperature.
The rise from cold to hot uses the hot tubs heater, and the more often your hot tubs heater is working, the more strain on your energy bill. 38°c is the ideal temperature for hydrotherapy so consider keeping it running at a consistent temperature so heating the water up isn’t so taxing and as always, ensure your cover is on and secure.
4. Close your air controls when your spa is not in use.
Leaving jets open whilst not in use will cause cold air to be fed into the water thus making it harder to heat up next time. And, of course, make sure all of your hot tub jets have been switched off before leaving the tub and putting the cover back on – this one really should go without saying!
5. Close the air vents on your hot tub.
Ensure the air vents are closed on the cabinetry of your hot tub. Air vents are designed to allow heat to escape from the cabinetry in the warmer months, so ensure they are closed during Autumn/Winter so you’re not losing any warmth from inside the cabinetry. Each pump in your hot tub will create 1.3kW of waste heat per day alone, so by allowing the heat to remain within the cabinetry, it’s free heating for your hot tub!
6. Shower before using your hot tub.
By showering before entering, rinsing your body and hair means getting rid of most of the bacteria from your skin, meaning the water quality will stay better for longer, meaning less frequent chemicals used and less frequent drain downs and refills are required, which saves on both water consumption and electricity required to heat the water form cold to set temperature.
7. Maintain good chemicals levels.
By maintaining your chlorine, pH & alkalinity levels, it’s much easier to keep good quality water. Rather than rescuing water that’s gone cloudy or murky, keeping the correct levels in the water could help cut down on care products, as well as cutting down on the amount of drain & refills you do throughout the year. It is all about being proactive with maintenance and care, not reactive. It’s also important to ensure you’re using a good brand of chemicals. You can purchase hot tub chemicals in our showroom.
8. Consult us about panel settings.
Our engineers are trained to give the best advice around! They will be able to let you know the best eco-friendly setting for your hot tub, especially if you’re going away or your hot tub isn’t being used as much.
9. Use a scale inhibitor once a week.
This is especially relevant when you live in a hard water area (which most of Dorset is!) Just like when you use a kettle, scale can build up and around the heating element and if it isn’t taken care of, the heating element will take longer to heat up your hot tub causing more power to be used! You can purchase scale inhibitor in our showroom.
10. Consider installing a heat exchange or air source heat pump.
You may want to look into either of these solutions so that you can reduce your energy running costs by up to 70-80% depending on the rating and efficiency of the heat pump obviously though this is more of a price venture initially and more of a long-term investment to really reduce those running costs over a long period of time.
11. Buy a hot tub that is suitable for your use.
If only 2 people are using the hot tub the majority of the time, do you really need a 6 or 8 seater? Instead, you could choose a size and layout that is suitable for your household as this will mean less water in the tub and therefore less water to heat and maintain, as well as less jets to power when in use. If looking for inspiration, you can view our full range of hot tubs here, starting from 2 persons +
12. Winterise your hot tub
Finally, if you’re still unsure about running your hot tub over the Autumn/Winter months due to the running costs, then you can Winterise your hot tub. Winterising your hot tub is a way of putting your spa to sleep having removed ALL water from the system. It should be winterised safely to save any unexpected costs in the Spring. If water remains in the pipelines & plumbing, this can freeze and crack your pipework, causing the spa to leak once set back up.
If you would like to book a Winterise with one of our friendly professionals, you can do so by contacting us on 01534 630 631
We hope you have found the above information helpful when it comes to reducing your running costs of your Hot Tub over the Autumn/Winter months!