Trim your pool pump
A pool adds around 2,000 kWh a year, and most pumps run far longer than the pool needs. Cutting the runtime and shifting it to your midday solar window (or off-peak) is the cheapest, zero-capital win — before spending on any hardware.
Your pump
Pump typeMost pools turn the water over in ~6 hours in summer, less in winter. Check with your pool shop.
What you pay when it runs now.
Off-peak, or ~0 on your own solar.
Your saving
$763/yr
803 kWh/yr less, from $1,124 down to $361.
Shorter runtime
$281/yr
Cheaper window
$482/yr
How to do it
Set the pump timer to the hours your pool needs, and run it in the middle of the day (to soak up rooftop solar) or off-peak overnight — never the 4–8pm peak. If you're on a demand or time-of-use tariff, keeping the pump off the evening peak helps there too.
Pool prevalence + load figures: UQ Queensland Energy Market Insights (Energy Queensland 2025 smart-meter data, CC BY 4.0).