Very little. Most robotic pool cleaners draw about 150–200 watts — similar to a couple of light bulbs — so a 2–3 hour cycle costs only a few cents of electricity. That’s a fraction of what a booster-pump pressure cleaner or running your main pump longer would cost.
The real numbers
A typical robot uses roughly 150–200 watts. Run for 2.5 hours, that’s about 0.4–0.5 kWh per cycle. At the U.S. average electricity rate (~16¢/kWh), that’s only 7–8 cents per cleaning — call it a dollar or two per month for regular use. Even running several times a week, the annual cost is negligible.
Why robots are so efficient
Robots run on low-voltage DC motors and clean independently of your pool’s filtration system. Unlike suction or pressure cleaners, they don’t force you to run the big, power-hungry main pump (or a separate booster pump) for hours just to do the cleaning — which is where the real energy savings come from.
Robot vs. other cleaners
- Robotic: ~150–200W, self-contained, pennies per cycle.
- Pressure cleaner: needs a booster pump, often 1,000W+ while running.
- Suction cleaner: relies on your main pump running longer, adding pump runtime cost.
Bottom line
Electricity cost should never stop you from running your robot on a healthy schedule. If energy efficiency is a priority, our experts can point you to the most efficient models on our robotic pool cleaners page, or use the robot selector.
