What are the likely Running Costs?

How can I tell what the likely running costs are going to be on different types of spa. I've been quoted everything from 8p to £2 per day in electrical running costs.With the price of electric going the way it is this is obviously going up my shopping list.What types of features should I be looking for to ensure that use of electric is minimised?

A. Running costs of a spa come down to mainly a few things, insulation of the shell and plumbing, you charge per KWh and efficiency of the cover, this is a basic overview of electrical running costs. Other running costs include chemical costs which are affected by filter and ozone efficiency.Firstly electrical costs, this can be broken down into efficiency of the heater and heat loss through the shell and cover. Things to look out for here are thickness of hard cover and ability to clip down the cover to avoid winds lifting the cover off the spa. Heat losses through the shell will depend on thickness of insulation on the shell, if the plumbing that can be foamed is foamed and how many layers of insulation the manufacturer uses. Added to this the density of the foam can vary considerably from 0.5 to 2lb the higher the figure the more dense and therefore better insulation rating for the same thickness sprayed. Bases which vary between manufacturers are designed primarily to keep out moisture from the frame of the tub rather than stop heat escaping as by definition heat rises, but a base on the spa will help. Make sure figures given by manufacturers state in what way the tub has been used to obtain these results, i.e. temp of tub water, ambient temp, usage per day, KWh cost etc. only then can you make a comparison across different manufacturers. It is highly possible your usage will differ from the tested norm anyway so try to factor this in and be honest with yourself.Chemical costs can vary significantly due to usage of the tub and therefore no definitive answer can be given on costs, however a tub with a higher filtration capacity will in the main keep cleaner water used with the same amount of chemicals. Ozone fitted on a tub will help aid the chemicals and therefore means less chemicals are used to maintain the tub, NB. As per BISHTA guidelines chemicals should always be used alongside a tub fitted with ozone regardless of what anyone tells you.The way ozone is plumbed on a tub can vary the effectiveness depending on how long the ozone is being injected for in a 24hr period and how long the ozone has to break down wastes before it reaches the tub and off gases as ozone by definition does not reside in the tub water like chemicals do.I would recommend speaking directly to a dealer regarding the above to better understand how different manufacturers build there spas.