Pool pump guide
Energy efficient pool pumps: which ones use the least power
The most energy efficient pool pumps are variable speed pumps with a high star rating, set to run slowly for longer. On a typical Sydney pool an old single speed pump costs about $900 a year to run at 32c a kWh. A 6 star variable speed pump doing the same job costs about $190. Here is why, what the energy label tells you, and what to check before you buy.
Choose a variable speed pump, compare star ratings only between pumps of a similar size, check the kWh a year on the label, and have it programmed to spend most of the day at low speed. Speed is the big lever: halve a pump’s speed and its power draw falls to roughly an eighth.
Which pool pump uses the least electricity?
A variable speed pump with a high star rating, run at low speed for most of its filtering time. The reason is how pumps behave, not marketing.
A pump’s power draw falls much faster than its speed. Under the pump affinity laws, the flow a pump delivers falls in step with its speed, but the power it needs falls roughly with the cube of the speed. The Australian Government’s 2018 regulation impact statement on pool pumps puts numbers on it: halve the speed and the power the motor demands drops to about one eighth of its maximum. Half speed moves about half the water, so the pump runs twice as long, and moving the same water that way takes only about a quarter of the energy.
Real pumps fall a little short of the textbook figure. One two speed pump on the Australian market lists 1,510 W on high at 2,850 rpm and 279 W on low at 1,450 rpm: half the speed for under a fifth of the power.
So the pump types line up like this:
- Single speed pumps have one speed, full speed. Every hour costs the same, so the only way to save is fewer hours, which costs you water quality.
- Two speed and multi speed pumps have two or more fixed speeds. Low speed saves a lot, but you are limited to the speeds the factory chose.
- Variable speed pumps can be set to any speed in their range, so filtering runs at the lowest speed that turns your pool over properly, with higher speeds kept for cleaning or backwashing.
The hours change too. A variable speed pump usually runs longer than the pump it replaced, often 8 to 12 hours a day, and still uses far less power. The guide to how long to run a pool pump covers hours by pool size and season.
Running cost by pump type
Here is what each type of pump costs to run in dollars, using the same assumptions as the running cost calculator on our NSW rebate page, so you can check them against your own pool.
| Pump type | How it runs each day | Power draw | Energy a year | Cost a year at 32c/kWh |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Old 1.5HP single speed | 7 hours at full speed | 1.1 kW | 2,810 kWh | About $900 |
| Two speed, low speed only | 14 hours on low (the same water as 7 hours on high) | About 0.2 kW | 1,022 kWh | About $330 |
| Two speed, with time on high | 2 hours on high for cleaning or skimming, then 10 hours on low | 1.1 kW, then about 0.2 kW | 1,533 kWh | About $490 |
| 6 star variable speed | 8 to 10 hours, mostly at low speed | Varies with the speed set | About 600 kWh | About $190 |
Assumptions: an average backyard pool of about 50,000 litres, 32c per kWh and 365 days a year. The single speed pump is a 1.5HP pump drawing about 1.1 kW, the figure our calculator uses. The two speed low speed draw is scaled from a current two speed pump’s spec sheet (279 W on low against 1,510 W on high), and assumes half speed moves about half the water, so it needs twice the hours. The variable speed figure is our calculator’s assumption for a registered 6 star pump on an average pool, about 600 kWh a year. Your own pump, pool, hours and tariff will change the numbers.
The installed price and NSW rebate apply to NSW homes.
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The pool pump energy rating label explained
Checked October 2026 against energyrating.gov.au and the federal Greenhouse and Energy Minimum Standards (Swimming Pool Pump-units) Determination 2021.
Is the label mandatory?
Yes. Pool pumps covered by the federal Greenhouse and Energy Minimum Standards (GEMS) rules and made from 1 October 2022 must be registered, meet a Minimum Energy Performance Standard and carry the Energy Rating Label when they are offered for sale. It covers single phase pool and spa pumps that move at least 120 litres a minute, from 600 W to 1,700 W input for single speed and up to 3,450 W for two, multi and variable speed pumps. Before October 2022 the label was voluntary.
The star scale
The label uses a 10 star scale, rated in half star steps up to 6 stars and in whole stars above that. The more stars, the less energy the pump uses and the cheaper it is to run. Energy Rating’s guidance for retailers says that when you compare pool pumps of the same power, each additional star means around 20% less energy.
Stars only compare pumps of a similar size: Energy Rating’s own example is that a 1,500 W five star pump uses more energy than a 600 W five star pump. The efficient choice is the smallest pump that suits your pool, with the most stars at that size. Oversized pumps also put more pressure on the filter and shorten its life.
The kWh a year figure
The energy consumption figure is how much electricity the pump is estimated to use in a year, worked out from a standard test (AS 5102.1-2019). Multiply it by your tariff for a rough running cost: a label figure of 600 kWh at 32c a kWh is about $192 a year. Treat it as a comparison figure. What you actually pay depends on how long and how fast your pump runs.
Older star ratings are not comparable
The way stars are calculated changed when the mandatory label started. Under the old voluntary program, two, multi and variable speed pumps could be rated on running continuously at low speed, with no allowance for time on higher speeds. You may still see older pumps or old listings quoting 8 stars or more. Those figures are not directly comparable with a rating on today’s label.
What the label does not show
Noise. Suppliers have to submit sound test results when they register a pump, but the sound figure is not printed on the label.
How to look up a pump on the Energy Rating register
- Open the Energy Rating Calculator for pool pumps.
- Pick the brand, or type the model number from the label or spec sheet.
- Filter by pump type (single, two, multi or variable speed) and by star rating.
- Choose your state and enter the tariff from your power bill in c/kWh for a more accurate running cost.
- Add pumps to your shortlist and sort by energy rating to compare them side by side.
Which pool pump is the most economical?
A variable speed pump with a high star rating, in almost every case. On the figures above it costs about $710 a year less to run than an old single speed pump, and about $140 to $300 a year less than a two speed pump. Each hour at full speed on a 1.5HP pump costs about 35c at 32c a kWh, so the saving comes from the hours spent at low speed.
Settings matter as much as the hardware. In a Sustainability Victoria trial described in the 2018 regulation impact statement, eight Melbourne households swapped single speed pumps for an efficient three speed model. Savings reached 73% in the best cases and averaged 50% once one outlier was removed, depending on how each pump was run. Ask for the speeds and timer to be set for your pool.
For prices by pump type and installation costs, see what a pool pump costs in Australia. For figures based on your own pool, use the pool pump running cost calculator.
What to look for when choosing an efficient pump
If you are shopping because the old pump has failed, the pool pump repair guide covers whether a fix is worth it first. If you are replacing, check these:
- Star rating and kWh a year. Read both on the label and compare pumps of a similar input power.
- Variable speed. It filters at the lowest speed that does the job, which is where the savings come from.
- Programmable speeds and a timer. Several speed settings you can schedule, so filtering runs at low speed and higher speeds are used only for cleaning, backwashing or heating.
- Low speed noise. The label does not show noise, so ask for the sound level at low speed.
- Fits your pipework and filter. It has to connect to your existing plumbing and suit your filter. Choose the smallest pump that suits your pool. The pool volume calculator works out your pool’s size from its dimensions.
- Warranty. Read the warranty in parts (motor, wet end and labour), not just the headline figure. Under the NSW scheme a minimum 3-year warranty is a requirement, so every pump installed through it carries at least that.
- How it is powered. A plug-in pump is a straight swap. If your pump is hardwired, changing it is licensed electrical work.
Eco, efficient, variable speed: what the words mean
“Eco” and “energy efficient” are shop words, not ratings. In October 2026 one large Australian online pool retailer’s energy efficient category listed pumps from 3.5 to 6 stars, so two eco pumps can be a long way apart. What carries weight is on the label: the speed type, the star rating and the kWh a year.
Quiet pool pumps
The quietest pool pump is usually a variable speed pump running at low speed. The 2018 regulation impact statement notes that two, multi and variable speed pumps have lower power consumption and noise levels when run on their lowest settings, an advantage single speed pumps do not have because they only run at full speed. Low speed is also where an efficient pump spends most of its day, so the quiet setting and the cheap setting are the same one.
There is a rules side too. Under the NSW noise rules that started on 28 August 2026, a pool pump must not be heard inside a neighbouring home between 9pm and 7am on weekdays, or between 9pm and 8am on weekends and public holidays, as Hawkesbury City Council’s summary of the noise rules sets out. If your pump sits near a fence line or a bedroom window, low speed running is the simplest fix.
The NSW rebate for an efficient pool pump
In NSW, installing or replacing a high-efficiency pool pump is an eligible activity under both the Energy Savings Scheme (ESS) and the Peak Demand Reduction Scheme (PDRS). Through participating scheme pathways, an efficient 6 star variable speed pump is from $899 installed (inc GST), against usually $1,400 to $1,600 installed without the scheme incentives. The scheme incentives come off before you pay. Outside Sydney, the Central Coast, Newcastle, the Hunter and the South Coast (Wollongong to Jervis Bay), the price is $1,049.
A minimum 3-year warranty is a requirement of the scheme. The pump is fitted by licensed installers and jobs are audited, so there is no supply-only or DIY option.
Fill in the price form on this page and your price comes back by text and email within a couple of minutes. Before anything is booked, you send photos of the pump, pipework and power point, plus a recent power bill.
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Council pool pump rebates
Some Sydney councils run their own pool pump rebates. Ku-ring-gai Council’s rebate sets 6 stars as the minimum and requires the new pump to replace a single speed pump. Randwick Council’s rebate also accepts a 6 star pump. Randwick confirmed the 6 star minimum in writing in October 2026, so its web page may still show 7 stars until it is updated. Amounts and conditions change, so check with the council before you buy.
Official sources
Figures on this page were checked against these official pages in October 2026. Rules change; confirm the current settings before you buy.
- Energy Rating: pool pumps
- Energy Rating: labels for pool pumps, fact sheet for retailers
- Greenhouse and Energy Minimum Standards (Swimming Pool Pump-units) Determination 2021
- Decision Regulation Impact Statement: Swimming pool pumps (2018)
- NSW Government: residential pool pump eligibility
Related pages
FAQ
Energy efficient pool pump questions
A variable speed pump with a high star rating on the Energy Rating label, set to run at low speed for most of the day. Pump power falls roughly with the cube of speed, so half speed needs about an eighth of the power. Compare star ratings only between pumps of a similar input power.
Variable speed pumps with the highest star rating you can find at the size your pool needs. The label uses a 10 star scale, and when you compare pumps of the same power, each extra star means around 20% less energy. Look the model up on the Energy Rating Calculator, and treat older listings quoting 8 stars or more with care, because the old voluntary program used a different rating method.
A high star variable speed pump. At 32c a kWh, an old 1.5HP single speed pump running 7 hours a day costs about $900 a year, a two speed pump about $330 to $490 depending on how long it runs on high, and a 6 star variable speed pump about $190. That is a saving of about $710 a year over the old single speed pump.
It depends on the pump. An old 1.5HP single speed pump drawing about 1.1 kW uses about 13.2 kWh in 12 hours, roughly $4.22 a day or $1,540 a year at 32c a kWh. A 6 star variable speed pump running 12 hours mostly at low speed costs a fraction of that. See how long to run a pool pump for the full breakdown.
Yes. Energy Rating says a pool pump uses nearly 18 per cent of the electricity in the average Australian home with a pool. On our assumptions an old single speed pump running 7 hours a day uses about 2,810 kWh a year, while a 6 star variable speed pump doing the same job uses about 600 kWh.
Yes. Pool pumps covered by the federal GEMS rules and made from 1 October 2022 must be registered, meet minimum energy performance standards and carry the Energy Rating Label when they are sold in Australia. The label shows a star rating out of 10 and the estimated energy use in kWh a year.
A variable speed pump running at low speed. Two, multi and variable speed pumps are quieter on their lowest settings than a single speed pump, which only runs at full speed. Noise is not shown on the energy label, so ask for the sound level at the speed the pump will run most.
Swap an old pump for an efficient one
In NSW an efficient 6 star variable speed pump is from $899 installed through participating scheme pathways, against usually $1,400 to $1,600 without the scheme incentives. Your price comes back by text and email within a couple of minutes.
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