What are some steps I can take to save money on my electric bill by running my pool pump more efficiently?

Sign up with your electric utility for a “time of use” rate plan; both APS and SRP offer them. You’ll pay a reduced rate for electricity if you run your pool pump and other appliances—like your dishwasher or washing machine—during hours of the day when demand for electricity isn’t at its peak.

1. Example: SRP will cut your “off-peak” rate from the standard 11 cents per kilowatt-hour (a measure of electricity use) to around 6.5 cents if you run your pool pump and other appliances between 8 p.m. and 1 p.m. during the summer. If you run the devices between 1 p.m. and 8 p.m., you’ll pay more to use the same electricity.

SRP estimates that “time-of-use” customers save up to 7 percent on their electric bills.

2. Run your pool pump less. It’s not necessary to run it around the clock. Most manufacturers recommend running it between eight and 10 hours a day in the summer and about half that in the winter.

3. Put a timer on the pump so it automatically shuts off after those hours, and set it to run only when you’re paying off-peak rates.

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