Outdoor & Garage · West
Cost to run a sump pump in Idaho
At Idaho’s average residential rate of 12.35¢ per kWh, a sump pump drawing 800W for 1 hour a day costs about $0.90 a month. Change the numbers below to match how you actually use yours.
Quick answer
Based on 800W at a 30% duty cycle (this equipment cycles on and off rather than drawing full power continuously) and 12.35¢/kWh, the Idaho average for May 2026.
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— per year
Why the cost differs in Idaho
Idaho has the 1st cheapest residential electricity of the 51 US states and territories we track, at 12.35¢ per kWh against a national average of 18.44¢. That is -33.0% compared with the national figure. Idaho has some of the cheapest electricity in the country thanks to Columbia River basin hydroelectric generation, which carries almost no fuel cost once built. Retail service is regulated. Drought years that lower reservoir levels are the main risk to those rates. Winters are cold enough to create real heating demand, while dry summers keep cooling load moderate compared with the humid South.
For this appliance specifically, the difference works out to a saving of $5.33 a year against what the same sump pump would cost at the national average rate. Run the identical appliance in Hawaii and it would cost $45.55 a year; in Idaho it would cost $10.82. That spread of $34.73 is entirely down to location.
That works out to roughly 0.8% of a typical Idaho household's annual electricity bill - modest individually, though appliances in this range add up.
Electricity in Idaho is cheap by national standards, which cuts both ways: running this sump pump costs less than it would almost anywhere else, but the payback period on an efficiency upgrade is correspondingly longer. Replacing a working unit purely to save energy is harder to justify here.
Retail service in Idaho is regulated, so most households pay a tariff set through state rate cases rather than a shopped rate. The state average is a reasonable proxy, though your utility's specific tariff still varies.
| Location | Rate | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Idaho this page | 12.35¢ | $0.90 | $10.82 |
| US average | 18.44¢ | $1.35 | $16.15 |
| Idaho cheapest state | 12.35¢ | $0.90 | $10.82 |
| Hawaii most expensive | 52.00¢ | $3.80 | $45.55 |
Idaho electricity rate trend
Rates in Idaho have moved from 12.07¢ to 12.35¢ per kWh over the last twelve months of published data. Nationally, residential rates rose about 6.2% year over year.
2025-06 to 2026-05 · cents per kWh
About running a sump pump
Runs intermittently and only in wet conditions, so annual cost is modest and highly variable by climate and season. A pump cycling in dry weather usually indicates a stuck float or groundwater issue worth investigating.
What actually changes the cost
- Nameplate wattage is not running cost. This sump pump draws about 800W when active, but cycles roughly 30% of the time it is switched on, so effective consumption is near 240W.
- Models vary widely, from about 400W to 1200W. Check the nameplate on your own unit rather than assuming an average, because the spread is more than 2x.
- If your utility offers time-of-use pricing, shifting this load off-peak can cut its cost substantially without using any less energy.
How we worked this out
The arithmetic is simple and we would rather show it than hide it. Divide watts by 1,000 to get kilowatts, multiply by hours of use and by the duty cycle to get kilowatt-hours, then multiply by your rate:
800W ÷ 1000 × 1h × 30% = 0.240 kWh/day × 12.35¢ = $0.030 per day
One honest caveat: Idaho’s figure is a state average published by the EIA. Your own utility’s tariff, any time-of-use pricing, fixed monthly service charges and local taxes all shift the real number. Put your actual per-kWh rate into the calculator above for a figure that reflects your bill.
Questions about sump pump running costs
How many watts does a sump pump use?
A typical sump pump draws about 800 watts while running, with most models falling between 400W and 1200W. Check the nameplate label or manual for your specific unit - the range is wide enough that averages can mislead.
How much electricity does a sump pump use per day?
At around 1 hour of use a day and a 30% duty cycle, that works out to roughly 0.24 kWh per day, or about 7 kWh a month. Your actual figure depends on your usage and model.
Why does the cost differ so much between states?
Residential electricity rates across the US range from about 12.35 cents per kWh in North Dakota to 46.62 cents in Hawaii - nearly a fourfold difference. The same sump pump, used identically, therefore costs almost four times as much to run in the most expensive state as in the cheapest.
Is it cheaper to run a sump pump at night?
Only if you are on a time-of-use or variable tariff. On a flat rate, the time of day makes no difference to cost. If you are on time-of-use pricing, off-peak hours are typically materially cheaper, and shifting this load can reduce its cost without reducing usage.