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Single-Speed vs Variable-Speed Pool Pump Cost

Compare the energy needed to circulate the same gross gallons. Start with two sourced above-ground filter-pump records, or enter measurements from your own pool.

One daily circulation target

The single-speed AC 500 and low-speed BT AGV100 points have different flow and head. This is a running-energy benchmark, not a prediction of replacing one pump with the other. Standby is unreported and excluded. See the records.

Starting 10,000 gallons is illustrative, not a pool-size or filtration recommendation. Water can pass through more than once.

Starting 153 days is an illustrative season. Enter 365 for daily year-round use.

Single-speed pump

Measured electrical input at the flow entered here.

Measured installed flow, above zero.

Applied to the remaining hours of each use day. Zero excludes standby.

Variable-speed operating point

Measured electrical input at the flow entered here.

Measured installed flow, above zero.

Applied to the remaining hours of each use day. Zero excludes standby.

Both measurements must serve the same pool circuit and filtration needs, including any minimum flow. Equal gallons alone does not establish that.

Record the pool circuit or setup used for both measurements.

Electricity price

Used only when you choose your own rate. Include variable supply, delivery and taxes.

Find the variable rate on your bill

State averages include fixed-charge revenue spread across kWh. They give benchmark costs; avoided bill charges depend on your own variable rate. Compare full tariff costs.

Reset reference

Laboratory-point benchmark

10,000.00 gross gallons per use day, 153 use days, 18.31¢/kWh. US EIA residential benchmark, 2026-07.

Single-speed minus variable-speed electricity cost

$24.98 over your selected use days

Positive means the single-speed point costs more. Negative means the variable-speed point costs more. Purchase and installation costs are excluded.

Single-speed cost
$39.10
Variable-speed cost
$14.12
Daily difference
$0.16

Published laboratory operating points; standby excluded.

Runtime and energy for the same gross circulated volume
Pump pointHours/daykWh/day
Blue Torrent AC 500
273.00 W · 32.60 GPM		5.111.396
Blue Torrent BT AGV100
76.80 W · 25.40 GPM		6.560.504

Both records are above-ground, non-self-priming filter pumps. The AC 500 point is at 8.9 ft of head; the BT AGV100 low point is at 5.3 ft. Equal volume does not make those identical hydraulic conditions or prove equivalent filtration in your pool.

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Two sourced filter-pump records

The source pair is specific to the above-ground, non-self-priming category. Neither is a pressure-cleaner booster pump. These published records establish the model identity and test-point inputs; they do not establish current stock, price, installation compatibility or a universal savings percentage.

ENERGY STAR records checked September 27, 2026. Electrical watts and flow are direct dataset fields.
Model / pointWGPMHead, ftRPMWEF, kgal/kWh
Blue Torrent AC 500
Single-speed point · ID 2674149
Certified 2021-09-29		273.0032.608.903,4507.10
Blue Torrent BT AGV100
Low-speed point · ID 2379254
Certified 2021-07-27		76.8025.405.301,35012.50

ENERGY STAR stores a single-speed pump's sole measurement in its “low speed” fields. The variable-speed entry here is its published low-speed point. Its higher-speed operation is not inferred from that point. WEF is a separate rated metric; the calculator does not use it or horsepower to infer operating watts.

Same gallons, different runtimes

Running hours = gross gallons ÷ (GPM × 60). Daily energy = (operating watts × running hours + standby watts × remaining hours) ÷ 1,000. Multiply daily kWh by the same price and use days for each pump. Calculations use unrounded values; the page rounds only for display.

This is one operating point per pump. Priming, other speed stages, heating, cleaner boosters, lighting and off-season energy are excluded unless separately measured and modeled. Reference standby is excluded because neither record supplies it. For multiple speeds or a full-day meter reading, use the pump schedule and measured-energy tool.

Gross volume can count the same water repeatedly. It is not a measure of unique water treated, sanitation or sufficient filtration. Flow, head, plumbing, filters and any heater or sanitizer flow requirement matter. Use operating points appropriate for your installed system before drawing a replacement conclusion.

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