The Hidden Cost No One Tells You About: Running Your Pool
You've budgeted for pool installation. You've compared contractors. You've chosen your tiles.
But have you calculated what it will cost to actually use your pool year-round in Dubai?
Most homeowners discover this reality three months after installation, when they receive their first summer electricity bill and realise their pool is costing 800 to 1,200 AED monthly just to keep comfortable.
Let's talk about the real numbers, because this is the difference between a pool you actually use and one that sits unused because it's too expensive to run.
The Dubai Pool Reality: Why Running Costs Matter
Dubai has approximately 9 months of swimming weather naturally. But "swimming weather" and "comfortable pool temperature" are very different things:
October to March: Water temperatures drop to 18°C to 22°C without heating (too cold for most families)
April to May: Comfortable natural temperatures (24°C to 28°C)
June to September: Water temperatures exceed 32°C to 35°C+ (too warm, needs cooling)
Translation: Without climate control, your pool is only truly comfortable for about 2 months per year.
Traditional Pool Heating/Cooling: The Expensive Option
Most concrete pool installations in Dubai use electric heat pumps or gas heaters. Here's what that actually costs:
Electric Heat Pump (Standard Installation):
Power consumption: 6 to 12 kW
Running cost: 25 to 50 AED per hour
Monthly cost for winter heating (8 hours daily): 6,000 to 12,000 AED
Monthly cost for summer cooling (12 hours daily): 9,000 to 18,000 AED
Gas Pool Heater:
Gas consumption: 15 to 25 kg per hour
Running cost: 30 to 50 AED per hour
Monthly cost for winter heating: 7,200 to 12,000 AED
These numbers shock most homeowners. That's why you see so many pools in Dubai that look beautiful but rarely get used. The running costs are simply unsustainable for normal families.
Modern Efficient Climate Control: The Game Changer
Advanced heat pump technology has revolutionised pool climate control economics. Here's what's actually possible with properly specified equipment:
High-Efficiency Inverter Heat Pump (What We Install):
Power consumption: 1.2 to 2.5 kW
Running cost: 2 to 4 AED per hour (same as your refrigerator)
Monthly cost for winter heating (8 hours daily): 480 to 960 AED
Monthly cost for summer cooling (6 hours daily): 360 to 720 AED
The technology difference is German engineering combined with inverter compressor systems that adjust output based on actual need rather than running at full power constantly.
Real Monthly Pool Running Costs: Complete Breakdown
Here's what you should actually budget for pool ownership in Dubai:
Scenario 1: Traditional Concrete Pool with Standard Equipment
Heating/cooling: 600 to 1,000 AED
Water top-up (evaporation): 150 to 250 AED
Chemicals: 200 to 300 AED
Pump electricity: 180 to 250 AED
Monthly cleaner service: 400 to 600 AED
Total: 1,530 to 2,400 AED monthly
Scenario 2: GRP Pool with High-Efficiency Climate Control
Heating/cooling: 60 to 180 AED
Water top-up (better water retention): 100 to 150 AED
Chemicals: 150 to 200 AED
Efficient pump electricity: 120 to 150 AED
Monthly cleaner service: 400 to 600 AED
Total: 830 to 1,280 AED monthly
Annual difference: 8,400 to 13,440 AED
Over 10 years, that's 84,000 to 134,000 AED in operational savings. That's not a small number. That's potentially more than you paid for the pool itself.
Why Some Pools Cost So Much More to Run
The running cost difference comes down to three factors:
1. Equipment Efficiency
Older heat pump technology operates at fixed output levels. Modern inverter systems adjust continuously, running at 20% to 40% capacity most of the time instead of cycling on/off at 100% power.
2. Pool Construction
GRP pools retain heat better than concrete pools due to the insulating properties of composite materials. Concrete conducts heat away into the ground. GRP insulates against heat loss.
3. System Integration
Properly designed systems size equipment to actual pool volume and usage patterns. Oversized equipment (common with concrete pool contractors) wastes energy constantly.
What Pool Companies Don't Tell You
Here's the uncomfortable truth: Many pool contractors make significant margins on equipment installation. They're incentivised to sell you bigger, more expensive systems rather than more efficient ones.
When a contractor quotes you a 24 kW heat pump system, ask why. Most residential pools in Dubai need only 8 to 12 kW if properly specified. The larger system costs more upfront (more profit for them) and costs you more forever (they don't care because they won't be paying your bills).
The Questions You Must Ask Any Pool Contractor
Before you sign any contract, get specific answers about running costs:
"What will it cost per hour to heat/cool my pool?"
If they can't give you a number, they don't know or don't want you to know."What's the power consumption rating of the equipment you're specifying?"
Get this in writing. Compare it against DEWA electricity rates (currently about 38 fils per kWh for upper consumption tiers)."Can you provide documentation from current clients about their actual monthly costs?"
Real data beats estimates every time."What's the energy efficiency rating of your recommended heat pump?"
Look for COP (Coefficient of Performance) ratings of 5.0+ for heating and EER (Energy Efficiency Ratio) of 3.0+ for cooling."Have you sized the equipment specifically for my pool volume and Dubai climate?"
Generic recommendations indicate they're not doing actual engineering.
Case Study: The True Cost Comparison
The Al-Rashid Family, Emirates Hills
Concrete pool installed 2019:
8m x 4m pool
Standard 18 kW heat pump
First summer: 1,400 AED monthly (shocked, used pool sparingly)
Second winter: 1,800 AED monthly (stopped heating, pool unused for 4 months)
Cumulative 5-year cost: 72,000+ AED in utilities alone
The Morrison Family, Dubai Hills Estate
GRP pool from Pools & Co. installed 2020:
8m x 4m pool
High-efficiency 9 kW inverter system
Average monthly cost year-round: 140 to 180 AED for climate control
Pool used 11 months per year comfortably
Cumulative 5-year cost: 10,800 AED in climate control utilities
Same pool size. Same Dubai climate. Wildly different economics.
The Environmental Impact
Beyond your wallet, running costs matter for Dubai's energy goals:
Traditional pool systems consume approximately 12,000 to 20,000 kWh annually. High-efficiency systems consume 2,500 to 4,000 kWh annually.
That's an 8,000 to 16,000 kWh difference per pool, equivalent to the complete annual electricity consumption of 1 to 2 typical UAE households.
If you care about sustainability (and DEWA certainly does, with their increasing tier pricing), efficient pool systems aren't optional. They're responsible homeownership.
Why We Specify High-Efficiency Equipment as Standard
At Pools & Co., we don't offer "economy" and "premium" climate control packages. We install high-efficiency systems in every pool because:
It's the right thing to do: You shouldn't have to pay 600 to 1,000 AED monthly to use your own pool
It matches our values: We're building pools for Dubai families to enjoy, not equipment to drain your bank account
It's better engineering: Properly sized, efficient systems last longer and require less maintenance
It makes business sense: Happy clients who actually use their pools become our best advocates
The Real Question: Use or Ornament?
Here's what it comes down to: Do you want a pool you actually swim in year-round, or do you want an expensive garden ornament that you use 2 months per year?
Because that's the choice you're making when you select your pool equipment. Traditional systems effectively price most families out of year-round pool use. Modern efficient systems make it genuinely affordable.
The Bottom Line
Running a pool in Dubai costs anywhere from 100 AED monthly to 1,500+ AED monthly. The difference isn't your pool size. It's the efficiency of your equipment and the quality of your installation.
At Pools & Co., we include high-efficiency climate control systems as standard because we believe you should actually be able to afford to use your pool. Our systems cost approximately 2 AED per hour to run, the same as your refrigerator, making year-round comfortable swimming genuinely affordable at 60 to 180 AED monthly.
Want to see the actual equipment specifications and running cost calculations for your specific pool? Contact us for a detailed consultation. We'll show you exactly what efficient pool ownership looks like in Dubai, with real numbers, not sales talk.
