We have come up with some suggestions on how to reduce your energy bill and save you cash on your monthly bill. Please feel free to comment at the end of this section on any other ways you have reduced your heating bill.
Three easy steps
Buy a Solar Blanket (50% energy cost savings)
Reduce your temperature (Saves $40 per month every 2 degrees)
Upgrade to a heat pump (40% Savings)
Solar Blankets
Rule Number 1. If you are using a gas heater or heat pump and do not have a Solar Blanket you are doubling your Heating Bill. According to Florida Power and Electric an average bill to heat your pool to 78 degrees is $180 / month. If you do something as simple as add a Solar Blanket then your cost will be reduced to $90 / month. Do not think of it as trapping solar heat. Think more of putting a lid on you pool. Your heat will be trapped and kept in your pool. So it take less energy to heat your swimming pool. This is a no brainer. If you buy a solar blanket you make your money back in about 1 month.
Turn down the temperature
The easiest way to reduce your swimming pool heating bill is to turn your temperature down. For every 2 degrees you turn down your temperature you will be saving around $40 per month. So reducing your temperature of your pool from 84 degrees to 78 degrees can save you $120 per month. So if you are not using your swimming pool turn down the heat.
Should I upgrade to a Heat Pump?
When you heat a swimming pool the key to save on your monthly energy bill and gas bill is to get the most efficient heater to date.
According to Florida Power and Electric the average gas heater will heat a pool at 78 degrees for a cost of $180 / month. This same pool can be heated by a heat pump for $105 / month. A pool that is heated to 84 degrees will cost a gas heater $290, but it will cost a heat pump $159. (These figures were based on $0.12 kWh for Central Florida). The initial costs of purchasing a heat pump is about $1,100 more then a gas heater. If you were to heat your pool at 78 degrees for 8 months out of the year, you will make your money back in about 2 years. With a heater or heat pump life span of 8 to 13 years you will save about $5,000. If you are planning on staying in your house for over 2 years you should purchase a heat pump. If you currently have a gas heater it still makes sense to upgrade to a heat pump if you are staying in your home for longer then 2 years. These numbers did not include having a solar cover on your pool. If you were to heat your pool at 78 degrees and with a solar blanket this decreases your monthly bill to $53.
