Save a dime on your next utility bill
Well pumps run on electricity and will shut down if there’s a power outage.
The type of pump, size, and usage amount all affect how much power your pump uses.
Knowing your well pump’s electrical usage can help you look for reliable backup power sources.
There are a number of ways to reduce your pump’s energy use and save on your electrical bill.
A good well pump keeps your water flowing, which is why it can be easy to forget about it unless there’s a problem. If there are issues, you may notice low water pressure, air sputtering through the faucet, or less visible things like more expensive electricity bills. Learning more about your well pump’s electricity usage can help you save energy, make your home more efficient, and reduce your utility bill. Sounds good, right?
A well pump is a system that moves water upward from your well and into your taps, toilets, showers, and water appliances. The pump system typically includes a pump, motor, and a pressure tank to hold water.
Shallow and medium-depth wells often use a jet pump, which forces water up. Deeper wells typically use a submersible pump that sucks water up, since this is more energy-efficient for larger depths.
Both well pump types use a motor that relies on electrical power to keep your water system flowing smoothly.
It may take a few minutes to calculate the power you need for your well pump, but knowing your pump’s average electrical usage can save you money on your energy bills and convenience when it comes to finding backup power.
When your well pump moves water up from the well, it’s powered by a motor that draws from the electrical grid. This means your well pump is part of your power bill and can impact your monthly utility costs.
It’s important to have a well pump with enough power to provide consistent flow. Having too weak of a pump can damage the system and lead to costly well pump repairs, while a pump that’s too large can waste energy and add to your power bill.
When you calculate your well pump’s electrical usage, assess whether you might be able to find a more energy-efficient pump. This is also a chance to catch rising costs on your energy bill that might show your pump is worn out and needs to be replaced.
Since your well pump relies on the electrical grid, you’ll likely lose water access when there’s a power outage. This may not be an issue for small brownouts that last an hour or so, but if you’re in an area that regularly faces longer blackouts it can become a bigger problem.
Knowing how much electricity your well pump uses allows you to buy a generator with enough power to run your well pump and water system as well as any other home essentials.
There are a few things that can influence how much power your well pump uses. Understanding how these factors affect your well pump’s energy use can help you find the most efficient system for your home.
Since it’s more energy efficient to suck water up than to push it up, submersible pumps tend to have slightly lower electrical usage than jet pumps at the same depth. However, they also typically cost a bit more when buying them new for installation, so it may be valuable to compare the initial cost to the amount you might save in electrical bills.
If you’re not sure which type of well pump is the best fit for your home, a local well pump contractor can take a look at your well, advise on different pumps, and install your pump correctly.
Your well pump should have a label on it that indicates the size of the pump motor. Your pump may also list information like starting and running wattage. Below is a general overview of average wattage for different pump sizes (measured in horsepower):
| Motor Size | Starting Wattage | Running Wattage |
|---|---|---|
| ⅓ HP | 1,500–2,500 watts | 750 watts |
| ½ HP | 2,000–3,500 watts | 900 watts |
| ¾ HP | 3,000–5,000 watts | 1,500 watts |
| 1 HP | 4,000–7,000 watts | 2,000 watts |
| 1 ½ HP | 5,000–8,000 watts | 5,000–8,000 watts |
When you’re calculating your monthly electrical pump power use, it’s helpful to know how many hours per day the pump is working. Most well pumps run about 6–8 hours a day, but you can check your well pump meter to find your daily usage.
There are three key pieces of information you’ll need to calculate well pump electrical usage:
Well pump wattage
Daily pump use (in hours)
Local electricity rates (in kilowatts per hour)
Start by multiplying your well pump wattage by the number of hours a day that the pump is in use. Then divide this amount by 1,000 to get your consumption in kilowatts. Multiply this number by your electricity rate. This will give you your daily electrical use, which you can multiply by the number of days in the month to get your monthly use.
Here’s a sample calculation:
Formula: [(well pump wattage x daily use hours) / 1000] x electricity rate
Here’s the calculation for a 1/2 HP well pump with a wattage of 900 W, seven daily hours of use, and a local electricity rate of 18 c/kWh.
900 x 7 = 6,300 W
6,300 W / 1000 = 6.3 kW
6.3 kW x 18 c/kWh = 113.4 cents/day
We’ll divide this by 100 to get the amount in dollars ($1.13/day), and then multiply it by 30 for the monthly rate ($34.02).
In this example, it costs about $34 to run the 1/2 HP well pump for one month.
Even the best well pumps need energy, but there are plenty of ways to make them more efficient.
Having the proper well pump is one of the first steps to maximizing your pump’s energy efficiency. If you’re building a new well, it’s a great time to think about how to choose the right size well pump. It’s important to pick the right size since the average well pump lasts 15–25 years.
Choosing a well pump will depend on the depth of your well and your water needs. It’s important to get a well pump that can manage your water consumption so you don’t wear out the pump, but it’s also best to pick one as close to the recommended size as possible. Bigger pumps tend to be less efficient and more costly on your energy bill.
One of the first indicators of a failing well pump is rising energy bills. As your well pump gets older, it gradually declines in efficiency and may need more power to start up and keep running.
Learn more about how much it costs to replace a well pump or browse common well pump repair costs so you can assess the cost of fixing your well pump vs. leaving it running with rising energy bills.
Anytime there’s a leak in your plumbing system, your well pump has to work overtime to replace the lost water. This can lead to a jump in your electricity bills on top of the hassle of fixing a faulty pipe.
Here’s a simple way to check for leaks:
Turn off power to the pump (there’s usually a switch for this on your breaker box)
Check the pressure gauge on your water tank and make a note of the number
Wait at least an hour, and don’t use any water while you wait
Take a second reading of the pressure gauge
If the pressure gauge reading stays consistent, you know you’re not losing water anywhere in your system. If the pressure gauge drops, it’s possible that there’s a small leak somewhere, which means it’s time to reach out to your local plumber for repairs.
Leaks in your plumbing can also cause your well breaker to keep tripping, which can be another indicator.
Depending on where you live, your electricity rates may be billed differently at different times of the day. If you have the option of lower off-peak rates, this can be a great time to take care of water-heavy tasks like running the dishwasher or doing laundry.
Generators aren’t just a helpful backup for power outages—they can also be a great solution for everyday power needs. If you live in a sunny area, solar power can partially or fully power your well pump. There is a range of solar-power sizes to fit different budgets, making it easy to compare the initial cost against what you could save on your electrical bill.
Bonus is you’re still covered by the municipal power grid for water in case of a power outage.
Well pumps need power to run, so they can’t function without electricity. If your power shuts off, there can sometimes be enough pressure in the water tank to allow for a lucky flush or a bit of tap water—but this won’t last long. It’s a good idea to have a backup generator or an alternative power source like solar if you’re worried about losing power.
You’ll need to make sure you have a big enough solar panel to meet your well pump’s power demands, but you can use solar power to fully operate your well pump. It’s also a good idea to have battery storage to hold the solar power so you can still use your well pump after dark.
