Outdoor & Garage · South
Cost to run a sump pump in Tennessee
At Tennessee’s average residential rate of 13.42¢ per kWh, a sump pump drawing 800W for 1 hour a day, at a 30% duty cycle, costs about $0.98 per 30.44 use days. Change the numbers below to match how you actually use yours.
Sump Pump electricity cost calculator
Use watts and running time, or enter energy from a label, meter or completed load. Your inputs stay on this device.
Enter a number within each field’s limits to calculate your cost.
Your estimated energy cost
88 kWh across 365 use days per year
Power mode includes your selected duty cycle. The monthly figure assumes 30.44 use days; the annual total uses your selected use days. These are estimates at the entered rate.
Energy charges only. Fixed utility fees, purchase, installation and maintenance are excluded. See the calculation method and sources.
Why the cost differs in Tennessee
Tennessee has the 6th cheapest residential electricity of the 50 US states and Washington, DC we track, at 13.42¢ per kWh against a national average of 18.16¢. That is -26.1% compared with the national figure. Tennessee is served by the Tennessee Valley Authority, a federal public power provider with a diverse nuclear, hydroelectric and natural gas mix, which keeps rates low without investor returns in the rate base. Retail choice does not exist. Humid summers drive cooling demand, and electric heating is common enough that winter carries substantial load.
For this appliance specifically, the difference works out to a saving of $4.15 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 $41.33 a year; in Nevada it would cost $11.14. That spread of $30.19 is entirely down to location.
Reducing use by 100 kWh would save $13.42 in energy charges at Tennessee's average rate, compared with $18.16 at the US average. Whether a replacement appliance pays for itself also depends on its purchase price and the energy it actually saves.
Use the energy and delivery price that applies to your own utility plan in Tennessee. If your plan has time-of-use prices, calculate each period separately or use a rate weighted by the electricity used in each period. Fixed monthly fees are outside this appliance energy-cost estimate.
| Location | Rate | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tennessee this page | 13.42¢ | $0.98 | $11.76 |
| US average | 18.16¢ | $1.33 | $15.91 |
| Nevada cheapest state | 12.72¢ | $0.93 | $11.14 |
| Hawaii most expensive | 47.18¢ | $3.45 | $41.33 |
Tennessee electricity rate trend
Rates in Tennessee have moved from 13.30¢ to 13.42¢ per kWh between September 2025 and August 2026. The national residential average changed +3.4% from the same month a year earlier.
2025-09 to 2026-08 · 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.
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 × 13.42¢ = $0.032 per day
One honest caveat: Tennessee’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.
How to estimate your sump pump electricity use
Estimate the electricity used by your sump pump from its electrical input and operating time. The preset is an example for this appliance class; model, settings and your electricity price can change the result.
A preset is not a measurement of your model. Variable power, standby use and different operating modes may need separate estimates. The source below supplies electricity-price data, not the appliance wattage.
- Use electrical input watts from your model documentation or a suitable measurement. Rated maximum power may be higher than normal operating draw.
- If you enter average measured watts over the whole period, set duty cycle to 100%. If you enter active running watts, use the fraction of time spent at that draw.
- In watts-and-hours mode, monthly output is a 30.44-day equivalent at your daily settings. Reduce annual-use days for equipment used seasonally or only on certain days.
- For measured consumption, cost equals kWh multiplied by your usage-based price per kWh. This excludes purchase, installation and maintenance costs.
Calculation and data sources
Daily kWh = watts ÷ 1,000 × hours × duty cycle ÷ 100. Multiply kWh by your rate in dollars per kWh to get cost. The wattage, hours and duty cycle above are editable example assumptions, not EIA measurements of this appliance.
The US and state average prices come from the EIA for August 2026. A state average is a starting point; your bill is the better source for your tariff.
Questions about sump pump running costs
How much electricity does a sump pump use?
In this example, 800 watts at a 30% duty cycle uses 0.240 kWh per scheduled hour. At 1.00 hours per day, that is 0.240 kWh per use day. Your model and operating conditions can differ.
How much does it cost to run a sump pump for an hour?
The default example costs $0.032 per scheduled hour at the Tennessee average of 13.42¢/kWh for August 2026. This includes the selected duty cycle. Enter your watts, duty cycle and electricity price for your own estimate.
Does the annual cost assume I use it every day?
The reference tables use 365 days at the stated daily hours; monthly figures use 30.44 days. These are comparison scenarios, not forecasts. For a heater used on 90 days, enter 90 use days per year in the calculator.
Why does electricity running cost vary by state?
For August 2026, the EIA state averages range from 12.72¢/kWh in Nevada to 47.18¢/kWh in Hawaii. Equal electricity use costs more at a higher rate. Your utility tariff can differ from the state average.
Should I enter rated watts or average watts?
Use the input that matches your measurement. Rated watts can represent maximum draw. If you know the average watts over the selected hours, enter that average and set duty cycle to 100%; do not reduce it again for cycling.
Does this include the purchase price?
No. This calculator estimates electricity at the entered usage-based rate. Purchase, installation, maintenance and fixed monthly utility charges are separate.
How do I estimate occasional use?
In watts-and-hours mode, enter the hours used on an active day, then select the number of use-days per year. The monthly figure remains a 30.44-day equivalent at that daily use; the annual figure uses your selected days.