Gas vs Electric vs Heat Pump Pool Heating
Three ways to heat a pool in Australia, and the honest case for each, from people who sell the gear and answer this question every week.
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For most Australian backyard pools, a heat pump is the cheapest way to heat and the one we sell the most of. Gas heats fastest and suits pools you use in short bursts. A plain electric element is the cheapest box to buy and the most expensive thing to run, which is why almost nobody puts one on a pool anymore. That is the whole answer. The rest of this page is the detail that decides which one is right for you.
The short version, in one table
Heat pumps win on running cost, gas wins on speed, electric wins on sticker price and loses everywhere else. Here is how the three stack up before we get into the why.
| Heat pump | Gas | Electric element | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Running cost | Lowest (short of solar) | High | Highest |
| Heats fast | No, steady | Yes, fastest | Moderate |
| Upfront price | Middle | Middle to high (plus gas plumbing) | Lowest |
| Best for | All season swimming, daily use | Quick heat, spas, occasional use | Tiny plunge pools, rare use |
| Needs | Power and airflow | Natural gas or LPG line | Power only |
General guide for Australian pools as of July 2026. Actual figures depend on your pool, climate and energy tariff.
Heat pump pool heating: cheapest to run, and it is not close
A heat pump is the cheapest pool heater to run because it moves heat instead of making it. It draws warmth out of the outside air and pumps it into the water, so for every 1 unit of electricity it uses, a good one delivers 5 or more units of heat. That ratio is the COP, and it is why a heat pump running cost sits at roughly a fifth of an electric element doing the same job.
The trade off is speed. A heat pump warms a pool steadily over a day or two on first start, then holds temperature cheaply for the rest of the season. That suits the way most people actually use a pool: warm water on tap from spring through autumn, not a cold pool blasted hot for one weekend. If you swim regularly, this is the one.
Inverter models push the saving further. A Guardian Platinum 20kW inverter or a Guardian Lux-V full DC inverter throttles down to a quiet hum once the pool is warm, instead of switching hard on and off, so the hold cost drops again. Our best seller, the Midea M Series 20kW with WiFi, is the size most standard family pools land on. There is more on that model in our Midea 20kW guide.
The catch: a heat pump needs air to pull heat from, so it slows down in a genuine cold snap and works harder deep in winter. Size it right and that is a non issue for most of the country. Size it too small and it never quite gets there. Our pool heat pump sizing guide walks through the numbers.
Gas pool heating: fastest heat, highest fuel bill
Gas heats a pool faster than anything else, which is its one real advantage. A gas heater burns natural gas or LPG and dumps that heat straight into the water, so it can lift a cold pool several degrees in a few hours regardless of the weather outside. That makes it the pick for a pool you heat on demand, a weekender you visit now and then, or a spa you want hot in twenty minutes.
The bill is the problem. Gas has no COP trick to play. You pay for every unit of heat as fuel, and gas is not cheap, especially LPG off bottles. Run a gas heater all season on a family pool and the quarterly bill will make your eyes water. Run it for a few hot afternoons a year and it is perfectly sensible.
Gas also needs plumbing a heat pump does not. A gas heater wants a properly sized gas line and, on LPG, a bottle or tank supply, which adds to the install. It is a licensed job. For a pool used every week through a long season, the running cost usually swamps the faster heat, and that is where most buyers move to a heat pump instead.
Electric element heating: cheap box, brutal bills
An electric element heater is the cheapest heater to buy and by a wide margin the most expensive to run, so it only makes sense on very small pools you rarely heat. It works like a giant kettle: electricity through a resistance element, straight into the water. Simple, reliable, and every single unit of electricity becomes exactly one unit of heat. A COP of 1, against a heat pump's 5 or 6.
That means an electric element costs roughly five times as much to run as a heat pump for the same warmth. On a full size pool that is not a heater, it is a money fire. The only place it earns its keep is a tiny plunge pool or a spa you heat occasionally, where the total energy is small and the low purchase price wins. For anything bigger, skip it.
Running cost, put plainly
Ranked cheapest to dearest to run, it goes solar, then heat pump, then gas, then electric element. Solar is free once installed but only heats when the sun is out. Among the powered heaters you can rely on year round, the heat pump is the cheapest by a country mile, gas sits well above it, and an electric element sits above that again.
The reason is the COP. A heat pump with a COP of 5 delivers five times the heat per dollar of energy that an electric element does. Gas has no equivalent multiplier and carries a fuel price that has climbed hard in recent years. If running cost is what you care about, and for most pool owners it is the thing they feel every quarter, the heat pump wins. Our post on the cheapest way to heat a pool puts real numbers on it.
A pool cover changes the whole equation
A pool cover cuts heat loss so hard that it lowers the running cost of every heater on this page, and it matters more than which heater you buy. An uncovered pool sheds most of its heat overnight through evaporation off the surface, so whatever you spent warming it during the day drifts off into the night air. Put a cover on and you keep that heat in.
Spend on a cover before you spend on a bigger heater or a fancier fuel. It is the single best value upgrade in pool heating, full stop. Pair a cover with a correctly sized inverter heat pump and you have the cheapest reliable warm pool you can build.
So which one should you buy?
Buy a heat pump if you swim regularly and want warm water across a long season at the lowest running cost, which describes most Australian pool owners. Buy gas if you heat on demand, use the pool in short bursts, or need a spa hot fast and do not mind the fuel bill. Buy an electric element only for a tiny plunge pool or occasional spa where the cheap purchase price outweighs a small energy use.
We stock heat pumps from 9kW to 35kW, so there is a match for any pool. The SensaHeat ES 13kW suits small pools, the Midea 20kW covers standard family pools, and the Guardian Eco Pro 20kW is a solid workhorse in the same band. See the full range in Heat Pumps for Pools & Spas, or browse the wider Heat Pumps collection. New to the topic? Start with how to heat a pool in Australia.
Frequently asked questions
Is gas or heat pump cheaper to heat a pool in Australia?
A heat pump is much cheaper to run than gas for a pool used regularly through a season. A heat pump moves heat and delivers around five units of warmth per unit of electricity, while gas pays full fuel price for every unit of heat. Gas only wins when you need fast heat in short bursts and do not run it often.
Is electric pool heating expensive to run?
Yes, an electric element is the most expensive way to heat a pool. It converts one unit of electricity into one unit of heat, so it costs roughly five times as much to run as a heat pump for the same result. It only suits tiny plunge pools or spas heated occasionally, where the low purchase price outweighs the small energy use.
Is gas pool heating worth it?
Gas pool heating is worth it when you need heat fast and use the pool in short bursts, such as a weekender or a spa. It heats faster than any other option regardless of the weather. For a family pool swum regularly across a long season, the fuel bill usually makes a heat pump the better buy.
What is the cheapest way to heat a pool?
Solar is the cheapest to run once installed, and a heat pump is the cheapest reliable heater that works year round. Both beat gas and electric element heating on running cost. Adding a pool cover lowers the cost further by trapping heat overnight, so a covered pool with an inverter heat pump is the cheapest practical setup.
Can you use gas and a heat pump together?
Yes, some pool owners run a heat pump for cheap day to day warmth and keep a gas heater to boost the water fast before a party or a cold weekend. It costs more to install two systems, so most people pick one. If you swim often, size a heat pump correctly and it handles the job on its own.
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This guide is general information for Australian pool owners and is not a substitute for advice on your specific pool and site. Pool heat pumps and electric heaters are electrical appliances and must be connected by a licensed electrician. Gas heaters must be installed by a licensed gasfitter. Confirm the right heater and size with us or your pool professional before you buy.