See What Heating Your Pool Actually Costs — and What a Cover Saves
This calculator estimates your annual pool heating and water costs with and without a HeatSaver Thermal Cover, based on two inputs: your pool’s surface area and the temperature you want to keep the water. The numbers behind it come from real evaporation and heat-loss rates measured in Arizona conditions, and the heating costs are based on natural gas pool heaters, the most common heater type in the Phoenix and Tucson metro areas.
Set your pool’s surface area
A typical residential pool is 400–500 square feet (length × width). The slider goes up to 13,000 sq ft, so it works for HOA and commercial pools too.
Pick your target water temperature
Choose the temperature you’d like to swim at, from 77°F to 85°F. The warmer you keep the water, the faster it evaporates and the harder your gas heater works.
See your annual savings instantly
The calculator shows your current water and energy costs, what those same numbers look like with a HeatSaver cover, and your total estimated savings per year.
Why the savings are so large: every gallon that evaporates takes heat with it. When a HeatSaver cover stops roughly 90% of that evaporation, your gas heater stops re-heating water you’ve already paid to heat — which is why the projected cost with a cover is a fraction of the uncovered cost, not a small discount.
Pool Heating Savings Calculator
The results below are based on natural gas pool heater rates. Set your pool’s size and target temperature to see your estimated annual savings with a HeatSaver cover.
Pool Savings Calculator
Annual Water & Energy Summary
| Water Lost to Evaporation (uncovered): | |
| Water Lost with HeatSaver Cover: | |
| Heating Energy Needed (uncovered): | |
| Current Energy & Water Cost: | |
| Projected Cost with HeatSaver Cover: | |
| Total Annual Savings: |
Estimates assume year-round heating to your selected temperature in Phoenix-area conditions, current local natural gas and water rates, and a HeatSaver cover used overnight. Your actual savings will vary with weather, usage, and utility rates.
Where Your Heating Dollars Actually Go
Most pool owners assume their heating bill is driven by cold water. It isn’t — it’s driven by evaporation. An uncovered heated pool in Arizona is essentially a giant swamp cooler: warm water evaporates off the surface day and night, and your gas heater burns therms replacing heat that escaped into the air.
Of a pool’s heat loss comes from evaporation at the surface, according to the U.S. Department of Energy — more than radiation and conduction combined.
Is when most heat escapes. Arizona’s dry air and big day-night temperature swings pull heat out of an uncovered pool all night long.
Heating cost reduction from covering a heated pool, per DOE guidance — consistent with what the calculator above projects for a HeatSaver cover.
Stopping evaporation saves twice: less heat to replace with gas, and less water to replace on your water bill. The calculator counts both.
How a HeatSaver Cover Cuts Your Gas Bill
The HeatSaver Thermal Cover is a custom-made insulating cover, manufactured on-site in Phoenix and fitted to your exact pool shape. It attacks heating costs from three directions at once:
| Uncovered Heated Pool | With HeatSaver Cover | |
|---|---|---|
| Evaporation | Continuous — warm water evaporates faster than cool water | Reduced by ~90% |
| Overnight heat loss | Heater re-warms the pool every morning | Insulating layer traps heat; water stays warm to the next day |
| Daytime solar gain | Some free solar heating, lost again at night | Absorbs and retains free solar heat, reducing heater run time |
| Gas heater run time | Long daily cycles to hold temperature | Short top-up cycles — the cover holds the temperature for you |
| Swim season | Limited by what you’re willing to spend on gas | Extended in spring and fall, often with little or no heating |
The same evaporation barrier also keeps roughly 18,000 of the 20,000 gallons a typical Arizona pool loses each year in the pool, and reduces chemical loss. See our full breakdown of pool water evaporation in Arizona.
Heating a community or resort pool? Gas costs scale with surface area, and so do cover savings. A HeatSaver Commercial pool cover → on a large heated pool typically pays for itself in a single heating season.
Frequently Asked Questions
How accurate is this pool heating savings calculator?
The calculator uses per-square-foot evaporation and heat-loss rates for Arizona conditions and current natural gas and water pricing. It’s an estimate — your actual costs depend on wind exposure, shade, how often you heat, and your utility’s rates — but it reflects the same 50–70% heating cost reduction the U.S. Department of Energy attributes to pool covers.
How much does it cost to heat a pool in Arizona with natural gas?
It depends on pool size, target temperature, and how many months you heat. For an uncovered residential pool held in the low 80s, gas heating commonly runs several hundred dollars a month in the cooler season. Use the calculator above with your own pool’s dimensions for a personalized annual estimate.
How much can a pool cover save on heating costs?
The U.S. Department of Energy estimates pool covers cut heating costs by 50–70%. Because the HeatSaver blocks roughly 90% of evaporation — the source of about 70% of a pool’s heat loss — and adds an insulating layer, most heated-pool owners see savings at the upper end of that range.
Why does keeping the pool warmer increase costs so quickly?
Warm water evaporates faster than cool water, so each extra degree increases both water loss and heat loss. That’s why moving the calculator’s temperature slider from 77°F to 85°F roughly doubles the uncovered cost — and why a cover matters most for pools kept warm.
Is a HeatSaver cover better than a regular bubble solar blanket?
The HeatSaver is a custom-fit insulating thermal cover, not an off-the-shelf bubble blanket. It’s made on-site in Phoenix to match your pool’s exact shape, lasts far longer in Arizona sun, and provides better heat retention and evaporation control. Learn more about the HeatSaver Thermal Cover →
Stop Paying to Heat the Air Above Your Pool
Custom HeatSaver thermal covers made and installed in Phoenix & Tucson. Free on-site estimate. 22+ years. ROC #316530.