Water Heating · South
Cost to run a well pump in Oklahoma
At Oklahoma’s average residential rate of 14.82¢ per kWh, a well pump drawing 750W for 2 hours a day, at a 50% duty cycle, costs about $3.38 per 30.44 use days. Change the numbers below to match how you actually use yours.
Well 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
274 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 Oklahoma
Oklahoma has the 13th cheapest residential electricity of the 50 US states and Washington, DC we track, at 14.82¢ per kWh against a national average of 18.16¢. That is -18.4% compared with the national figure. Oklahoma is a major wind producer with cheap in-state natural gas, a combination that keeps rates well below the national average. Retail service is regulated. Summers are hot and long, making cooling the dominant load, while winters are mild enough that heating demand is secondary. Severe weather restoration costs are a recurring feature of rate cases.
For this appliance specifically, the difference works out to a saving of $9.14 a year against what the same well pump would cost at the national average rate. Run the identical appliance in Hawaii and it would cost $129 a year; in Nevada it would cost $34.82. That spread of $94.33 is entirely down to location.
Reducing use by 100 kWh would save $14.82 in energy charges at Oklahoma'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 Oklahoma. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oklahoma this page | 14.82¢ | $3.38 | $40.57 |
| US average | 18.16¢ | $4.15 | $49.71 |
| Nevada cheapest state | 12.72¢ | $2.90 | $34.82 |
| Hawaii most expensive | 47.18¢ | $10.77 | $129 |
Oklahoma electricity rate trend
Rates in Oklahoma have moved from 14.89¢ to 14.82¢ 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 well pump
Well-pump electricity cost depends on electrical input and actual pumping time. Use recorded pump-system kWh when available, or input watts with total motor-on time. Horsepower and time with water service available do not establish daily energy use.
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:
750W ÷ 1000 × 2h × 50% = 0.750 kWh/day × 14.82¢ = $0.111 per day
One honest caveat: Oklahoma’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 well pump electricity use
Price a representative pump-system energy reading, or estimate electrical input over the time the motor actually runs. Water use, pumping head and controls affect operation. A motor-runtime estimate can omit control or standby energy between pumping periods.
Record your well-pump energy in four steps
- Identify what the reading covers. Use an existing dedicated energy meter or monitor documented to measure the pump system's electrical input. Check whether the controller and any water-treatment equipment are included. A whole-house meter cannot isolate the pump from other household loads.
- Record the starting and ending cumulative kWh readings and their dates and times. Subtract the start from the end, and record the full elapsed period in days. Choose a period representative of your water use; irrigation, guests or a seasonal change can make another period different.
- Choose Metered energy in the calculator. Enter the kWh difference, elapsed days and your usage rate in cents per kWh. The measured-period cost uses the energy you recorded; daily and longer-period figures assume its daily average. Do not apply a second duty-cycle reduction.
- If you only have electrical input watts and observed runtime, choose Watts and hours. For one representative use day, add the motor-on minutes across all starts, divide by 60 for hours per day, and use 100% duty with that active time. For changing power or speed, use representative input energy or separate power-and-time periods rather than a single maximum reading.
Enter your readings in the calculator →
| Item | Example |
|---|---|
| Illustrative meter readings | 122.9 kWh at the end minus 112.4 kWh at the start |
| Energy recorded over 7 elapsed days | 10.5 kWh |
| Illustrative usage rate | 20 cents/kWh ($0.20/kWh) |
| Cost for the measured period | 10.5 kWh × $0.20 = $2.10 |
| Average cost per measured day | $2.10 ÷ 7 = $0.30 |
| 30.44-day projection at the same daily use | $9.13, rounded |
These are invented readings to show the calculation, not typical well-pump consumption. Enter 10.5 for Energy recorded, 7 for Measurement period and 20 for Electricity rate to reproduce the example. A projection assumes the same average daily energy; it is not a forecast of your next bill. The reference tables elsewhere on this page use their own displayed example inputs.
Reading pump and controller specifications
The preset is an editable arithmetic example. Starting current is not continuous operating power: do not multiply a brief starting surge by the whole runtime. This calculator estimates electricity, not generator or circuit size, pump replacement, water-treatment supplies or maintenance.
- Horsepower describes motor output capacity. Multiplying horsepower by about 746 converts that output rating to watts; it does not supply actual electrical input. Input also depends on load and efficiency. The DOE motor guide below explains the distinction; its industrial examples are not household pump consumption averages.
- Read your exact controller manual before interpreting its display. For example, Franklin Electric's SubDrive Connect manual lists Running, Idle and Faults status plus system pressure or motor speed. That status can help identify motor-on periods; pressure, speed and status are not a kWh reading or an input-watts measurement.
- Use existing accessible readings. If suitable input-energy data are unavailable, a qualified technician can arrange measurement for the installed system. Add separately powered treatment equipment only when its energy is outside the pump-system reading.
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 well pump running costs
How much electricity does a well pump use?
In this example, 750 watts at a 50% duty cycle uses 0.375 kWh per scheduled hour. At 2.00 hours per day, that is 0.750 kWh per use day. Your model and operating conditions can differ.
How much does it cost to run a well pump for an hour?
The default example costs $0.056 per scheduled hour at the Oklahoma average of 14.82¢/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 example schedules, not measured household pumping. In watts-and-hours mode, enter motor-on hours on a use day, 100% duty for that active time, and your actual use-days per year. Metered energy mode instead uses all elapsed measurement days and projects their daily average.
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.
How do I work out my well pump's monthly electricity cost?
Subtract the start from the end of a dedicated pump-system kWh reading, divide by the elapsed measurement days, and multiply by your price in dollars per kWh. Multiplying that daily cost by 30.44 gives this calculator's monthly projection. For example, 10.5 kWh over 7 days at $0.20/kWh costs $2.10 for the period and projects to $9.13 per 30.44 days. These are illustrative readings; your next month may use a different amount.
How many watts does a 1 HP well pump use?
The horsepower rating alone cannot tell you its actual electrical input. About 746 watts is the mechanical output equivalent of 1 HP, not a measured wall-input value. Use the pump and controller documentation or a suitable input-power or energy measurement at the actual operating conditions.
Should I enter 24 hours if my water supply is always on?
Not with the pump's active running watts unless it actually runs at that draw for all 24 hours. For one representative use day, add the motor-on minutes, divide by 60 and use 100% duty with that active runtime. If instead you use 24 elapsed hours, duty must represent the motor-on fraction. Both are estimates and can omit other powered modes.
Does a well pump's starting surge determine its electricity bill?
Starting power is brief, so it should not be charged as though it persists throughout pumping. A suitable full-period input-energy measurement includes the energy recorded during starts and normal operation. Generator startup capacity is a separate sizing question.
Can water gallons or controller RPM tell me the kWh used?
Not by themselves. Required lift, pressure, flow, pump and motor efficiency, and the control system affect electrical input. A controller's speed or pressure display is not necessarily a power or energy meter. Check the exact model documentation and the measurement boundary.