Understanding consumers' pool pump knowledge

The Department of the Environment and Energy has commissioned a report called Pool Pumps: An Investigation of Swimming Pool Pumps in Australia and New Zealand prepared by Woolcott Research and Engagement.

The report was commissioned as part of the department’s efforts to improve energy efficiency in the pool sector by gaining a greater understanding of consumer behaviours and the current equipment being used.

This is quite a comprehensive report including numbers and types of pumps for each household, extrapolated from a sample of 1752 pool and spa owners in Australia and New Zealand.

Conclusions, key outtakes and implications include:

1. Price appears to be the main driver in the purchasing decisions of consumers and this appears to be confirmed by industry professionals. Communication should highlight the potential cost savings to be gained from use over the life of a typical pump. However, it is important that such claims are realistic and not over-stated.

2. Many consumers do not know the types of pumps they have in their pool showing a lack of engagement with their pool and/or spa pump(s).

3. Consumers are seeking advice from pool professionals to help them in their purchasing decisions showing the importance of these professionals in influencing the decision-making in relation to pool and spa pumps.

4. Retailers/builders/suppliers/installers have divided views on the energy efficiency claims of pumps and are providing mixed messages and in some cases misinformation. Therefore, there is a need to directly address some of these misconceptions in communication about variable speed pumps.

5. Some consumers are also turning to online sources for information and purchase highlighting the need for simple, accurate and easy to use information online.

The full report is available here.