We all know how important conserving energy is and most families these days are conscious of their environmental footprint and keeping energy consumption to a minimum.

But this can be easier said than done for pool owners. While there are many benefits to having a backyard swimming pool, they are one of the largest energy and water guzzlers in the home.

For a typical household, maintaining an in-ground pool can account for up to 30 per cent of a household’s energy bills and a pool pump can be the largest user of electricity in a home—sometimes using more energy than your washing machine, clothes dryer and dishwasher combined.

Recent research from Energy Matters revealed that a typical backyard swimming pool using a 1.5kW pool pump can add up to 17 per cent to an electricity bill.

And while there’s no ‘one–size–fits–all’ approach to creating a water and energy efficient swimming pool or spa as the local climate often has a big role to play there are certain steps that pool owners can take to ensure their swimming pool is more energy efficient and water wise.

• Equip your pool or spa with the most energy efficient pump, filtration and cleaning system. It’s important to balance out the long–term running cost of cheaper, inefficient technologies.
• Lighting a swimming pool is a great way to keep it safe at night, but be careful about over lighting your pool area as this adds to your electricity bill. Choose energy efficient lighting options.
• If you’re building from scratch, position the pool to minimise evaporation and save on heating costs.
• Install water saving products such as rainwater tanks to top up the pool without using mains water.
• Install a pool cover to save water, energy and maintenance efforts.
• Reduce energy costs of swimming pool pumps by installing a smart meter and switch to time–based pricing. You may be able to slash pool electricity bills by up to $4791 a year.