Pond pumps have gotten a lot more energy efficient in the last couple of decades, and you’re unlikely to have to cut your food budget to keep your koi pond bubbling happily away. The exact amount depends on the size of your pond pump, of course, so the larger your pond, the bigger chunk it will take out of your budget. By the way - it’s extremely important to remember that your pond will be operating 24 hours per day. No days off, no breaks. The water in your pond will quickly become dangerously unbalanced if there is no circulation, even for a short period of time. Don’t let budget considerations get in your way here!
You can figure out exactly how much your pump will cost you, by checking the wattage. You’ll also need to know the rate your electric company charges you, which you should be able to find on one of their bills. We’ll use $0.12/hour since that’s the current average across the US. First, multiply the wattage of the pump by 24 hours for the daily wattage used. Divide that by 1000 to give the kilowatt hours per day (kWh). Multiply that by 30 days for your average month and then by the electric rate per kWh from your utility. That will tell you the amount of money it will cost to run each month. We ran some calculations for random pumps available online in the 1200 GPH class and electric costs ranged between $5 and $20 per month. Even at the high end, that’s cheaper than a couple of trips through a fast food line! (Watts x 24 hrs /1000) x 30 days x kWH rate from utility = electricity cost per month.
