How Much Electricity Does a Boat Lift Use?
Quick answer
Very little: an AC cable lift with a 3/4 to 1 hp motor uses about 0.04 to 0.11 kWh to raise and lower a boat once, which is roughly 1 to 2 cents at the July 2026 U.S. average of 18.31 cents per kWh and about 5 cents at Hawaii's 48 cents. Even a lift used every day costs under $20 a year in power. If the bill on a dock circuit is high, the cause is something that runs for hours, such as a de-icer, bubbler or charger, not the lift.
On this page
- The arithmetic, with real nameplate figures
- Cost per lift by state, July 2026 prices
- Why the motor sounds expensive but is not
- Wiring for 240 V halves the amps, not the bill
- What actually raises the bill on a dock circuit
- DC, solar and hydraulic lifts
- When a lift uses more than this
- How to measure your own lift
- Where this page stops applying
- Frequently asked questions
- Sources and further reading
A boat lift uses about 0.04 to 0.11 kWh of electricity per round trip, up and back down, for a typical residential cable lift with a 3/4 to 1 hp motor. At the July 2026 U.S. residential average of 18.31 cents per kWh, published by the U.S. Energy Information Administration, that is 0.7 to 2.0 cents a trip. A lift used every single day of the year costs $2.54 to $7.13 at that price.
The motor looks expensive to run: a 1 hp motor draws about as much current as a space heater. The difference is hours. A round trip runs the motor for under four minutes, and the lift motors cited below are rated to run no more than 15 minutes at a time.
- Energy per round trip: about 0.04 to 0.11 kWh (3/4 to 1 hp AC motor, 5 ft of travel, 3 to 6 ft per minute)
- Cost per round trip: 0.5 cents (Louisiana) to 5.1 cents (Hawaii) at July 2026 residential prices
- Every day for a year: under $20 in the most expensive state
- Running draw: 11.4 to 13.0 A at 115 V on lift motor nameplates; 16 A is the NEC table value for 1 hp
- What actually costs money on a dock: anything that runs for hours; a 1 hp de-icer uses in one hour what a lift uses in 10 to 29 round trips
- Wiring for 240 V: halves the current, not the bill
Safety: measuring current on a lift circuit means working on live conductors over water. Leave it to a licensed electrician, keep the circuit on GFCI or ELCI protection, and never stand or reach under a raised boat while the lift is being tested. Boat lift electrical covers dock wiring and electric shock drowning.
The arithmetic, with real nameplate figures
Energy is power multiplied by time: the motor's current at line voltage, times how long the cradle takes to travel.
Power: what lift motors actually draw
Replacement lift motors list their running current. Two common motors sold for cable lifts, both dual voltage and rated 1725 RPM, against the code table value:
| Motor | Amps at 115 V | Amps at 230 V | Time rating | Volt-amps at 120 V |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marathon 3/4 hp TENV | 11.4 (12.4 service factor amps; listed at 110 V) | 5.6 (listed at 220 V) | 15 minutes | 1,368 |
| Elite 1 hp Heavy Duty TENV | 13.0 (15.7 service factor amps) | 6.5 | 15 minutes | 1,560 |
| NEC Table 430.248, 1 hp single phase | 16 | 8 | Not applicable | 1,920 |
The NEC figure is the value electricians must use to size wire and breakers. It sits above the nameplates on purpose, so it serves here as a ceiling. Volts times amps also overstates real power, because an induction motor's current is partly out of phase with the voltage. Every figure below is therefore an upper bound for its case.
Time: how long the motor runs
Cable winch lifts typically travel 3 to 6 ft per minute, slower near full load (see how boat lifts work for why gearing makes them slow). Take 5 ft of travel, a common figure once the cradle has to clear high water and waves (the travel calculation is in water depth requirements):
- At 6 ft per minute: 5 / 6 = 0.83 minute, or 50 seconds each way.
- At 3 ft per minute: 5 / 3 = 1.67 minutes, or 100 seconds each way.
On a cable winch lift the motor also drives the cradle down, so a round trip is twice the one-way time: 100 to 200 seconds of motor run.
Worked example: one round trip, low and high case
Low case: the Marathon 3/4 hp motor at 1,368 VA, lift moving 6 ft per minute.
- 1.368 kW x 100 s / 3,600 s per hour = 0.038 kWh
- At 18.31 cents per kWh: 0.038 x 18.31 = 0.7 cent
High case: the NEC 1 hp ceiling at 1,920 VA, a loaded lift moving only 3 ft per minute.
- 1.92 kW x 200 s / 3,600 = 0.107 kWh
- At 18.31 cents: 0.107 x 18.31 = 2.0 cents
A year of daily use: 365 round trips x 0.038 to 0.107 kWh = 13.9 to 38.9 kWh, or $2.54 to $7.13 at the U.S. average. Two round trips a weekend for 20 weekends is 40 trips, 1.5 to 4.3 kWh, or 28 to 78 cents at the U.S. average.
Cost per lift by state, July 2026 prices
Residential electricity prices vary almost four to one across the states where lifts are common. The table applies EIA's July 2026 average residential price to the low and high cases above.
| State | Cents per kWh | Per round trip | Per 100 round trips | Every day for a year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Louisiana | 12.72 | 0.5 to 1.4 cents | $0.48 to $1.36 | $1.76 to $4.95 |
| Tennessee | 13.71 | 0.5 to 1.5 cents | $0.52 to $1.46 | $1.90 to $5.34 |
| Florida | 15.03 | 0.6 to 1.6 cents | $0.57 to $1.60 | $2.08 to $5.85 |
| Texas | 15.88 | 0.6 to 1.7 cents | $0.60 to $1.69 | $2.20 to $6.18 |
| Minnesota | 17.45 | 0.7 to 1.9 cents | $0.66 to $1.86 | $2.42 to $6.79 |
| U.S. average | 18.31 | 0.7 to 2.0 cents | $0.70 to $1.95 | $2.54 to $7.13 |
| Wisconsin | 19.06 | 0.7 to 2.0 cents | $0.72 to $2.03 | $2.64 to $7.42 |
| Michigan | 23.05 | 0.9 to 2.5 cents | $0.88 to $2.46 | $3.20 to $8.97 |
| New Hampshire | 26.60 | 1.0 to 2.8 cents | $1.01 to $2.84 | $3.69 to $10.36 |
| New York | 29.90 | 1.1 to 3.2 cents | $1.14 to $3.19 | $4.15 to $11.64 |
| California | 33.61 | 1.3 to 3.6 cents | $1.28 to $3.59 | $4.66 to $13.09 |
| Hawaii | 48.00 | 1.8 to 5.1 cents | $1.82 to $5.12 | $6.66 to $18.69 |
State averages hide utility rate tiers and time-of-use pricing, but no tier changes the conclusion: a few cents a trip is the most it can be.
Why the motor sounds expensive but is not
Lifting a boat is a small amount of work done slowly. Raising 6,000 lb by 5 ft is 30,000 ft-lb, or about 0.011 kWh. That is the floor no lift can beat, because it is the energy now stored in the raised boat. The upper-bound figures above are about 2 to 5 times that for the trip up alone, because a worm gear and a small induction motor lose much of their input as heat, and volt-amps overstate real watts. Even with those losses, the total stays in the hundredths of a kWh.
The starting surge does not change this. A capacitor-start motor draws several times its running current, but only for a fraction of a second, so it adds almost nothing to the kWh on the meter. Where starting current matters is wire size and voltage drop, which decide whether the motor starts at all on a long dock run; see the voltage drop section of boat lift electrical.
The 15-minute time rating on these motors also caps the worst case. At the 1,920 VA ceiling, 15 minutes of continuous running is 0.48 kWh, about 9 cents at the U.S. average. A lift motor is not built to run longer than that, so a lift that keeps running is a fault to fix, not a line on the bill.
Wiring for 240 V halves the amps, not the bill
This is the most common confusion behind the question. Owners hear that a 240 V lift "draws half the power" and expect a smaller bill. It draws half the current: the Marathon 3/4 hp motor is 11.4 A at 115 V and 5.6 A at 230 V. Multiply each by its voltage and the power is the same, about 1,300 VA, so the energy per lift and the cost per lift are the same.
What 240 V does change is voltage drop. Half the current loses half the volts in the same wire, and as a share of a doubled supply voltage the loss falls to a quarter. That is a real reason to wire a long run at 240 V, because a starved motor runs hot and slow. It is not a way to save money on power. Boat lift motors covers which motors can be rewired and what has to change with them.
What actually raises the bill on a dock circuit
If a dock or boathouse circuit is using real energy, look for something that runs for hours, not minutes. The comparison that surprises most owners is with ice control.
| Load | Power | Typical run | Energy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boat lift, one round trip | 1,368 to 1,920 VA | 100 to 200 seconds | 0.04 to 0.11 kWh |
| Kasco 4400D 1 hp de-icer, 9.1 A at 120 V | 1,092 VA | One hour | 1.09 kWh, the same as 10 to 29 lift round trips |
| Same de-icer, around the clock for a 120-day winter | 1,092 VA | 2,880 hours | 3,145 kWh, the same as roughly 29,000 to 83,000 round trips |
| Any device drawing 1 W continuously | 1 W | 8,760 hours (a year) | 8.76 kWh, the same as 82 to 230 round trips |
The last row is the one to remember. Anything left powered all year (a remote receiver, a timer, dock lights on a photocell, a boat's onboard charger plugged into a dock receptacle) costs 8.76 kWh a year for every watt it draws. Even a few watts of standby outweighs a summer of lifting. If you want both the savings and the protection, switch the lift off when you leave it, which lift motor makers already advise because of lightning and surges (see should you unplug a boat lift in a thunderstorm).
For a winter de-icer, run time is everything: a thermostat or timer that holds it to a few hours a day cuts the season's energy by more than three quarters. Sizing, run time and seasonal cost by state are worked out in de-icer or bubbler for a boat lift, and the alternative of pulling the lift out is costed in seasonal lift removal.
DC, solar and hydraulic lifts
12 V and 24 V lifts
A DC lift on a solar charger costs nothing in grid electricity. Its running cost is the battery, which wears out with deep or partial discharge; solar boat lift chargers covers keeping it healthy. If the battery is kept up by a plug-in charger instead, the energy is still tiny: the worked example in the solar charger sizing tool uses about 2.33 Ah per round trip at 12 V, or about 29 Wh at 12.5 V. That is under 0.03 kWh before charger losses, the same order as an AC lift.
Faster lifts
Speed shortens the run, so a faster lift of the same power uses less energy per trip. Sunstream says its LiftBar lifts and launches "at speeds up to 10 feet per minute," and markets its lifts as needing only "a single low amp 110-volt connection or solar panel" rather than a dedicated 220-volt service at each slip. At 10 ft per minute, 5 ft of travel takes 30 seconds. Sunstream also says the LiftBar's regenerative braking charges its batteries while lowering; it publishes no figure for how much, so none is used here.
When a lift uses more than this
The figures above assume a lift in good order. Three faults raise current and run time together, and all three are worth fixing for reasons that have nothing to do with the bill:
- Drag in the drivetrain. A dry gearbox, seized sheaves or a binding cradle make the motor work near or above its rating and slow the lift.
- A dragging brake. A brake that does not fully release forces the motor to fight it on every lift. See lift slipping or not holding for how the brake works.
- Low voltage. On an undersized or very long run the motor runs slowly and hot, and may trip its overload. Motor troubleshooting includes the voltage checks.
Even a lift drawing twice the current for twice as long stays under 0.5 kWh a trip. A struggling lift is a wear and safety problem first.
How to measure your own lift
If you want your own number rather than the range, an electrician can clamp an ammeter around the hot conductor feeding the lift (one conductor only, not the whole cord) and read the running current during a full lift. Time the lift with a phone. Then:
kWh per trip = amps x volts x seconds / 3,600,000
For example, 12 A x 120 V x 145 s = 208,800 watt-seconds, or 0.058 kWh. Readings well above the nameplate amps are a maintenance flag, not a billing one.
Where this page stops applying
- Marinas and commercial accounts may pay demand charges based on peak power, where starting current and many lifts starting together can matter. This page covers residential kWh billing.
- Large lifts with 1-1/2 to 2 hp motors or two motors draw more; the NEC table puts 1-1/2 and 2 hp at 20 A and 24 A at 115 V. Even doubled, the cost per trip stays in cents.
Frequently asked questions
Does a boat lift use a lot of electricity?
No. A residential cable lift with a 3/4 to 1 hp motor uses about 0.04 to 0.11 kWh to raise and lower a boat once. At the July 2026 U.S. average residential price of 18.31 cents per kWh, that is 0.7 to 2.0 cents a round trip, and under $8 a year even if you use it every day.
How many amps does a boat lift motor draw?
Common 3/4 to 1 hp lift motors list 11.4 to 13.0 A running at 115 V and about half that at 230 V, with service factor amps up to 15.7 A at 115 V. Electricians size the circuit from the NEC table value instead, 16 A at 115 V for 1 hp, and starting current is several times higher for a fraction of a second.
Is a 240 V boat lift cheaper to run than 120 V?
No. At 240 V the motor draws half the current, but power is volts times amps, so the energy per lift is the same. Wiring at 240 V reduces voltage drop on long dock runs, which helps the motor start and run cool. It does not lower the electric bill.
Why did my electric bill go up after installing a boat lift?
Almost certainly not because of the lift itself, which uses cents of power per trip. Look for something new on the same service that runs for hours: a de-icer or bubbler, dock lights, a boat battery charger left plugged in, or a lift accessory left powered around the clock. Every watt drawn continuously adds 8.76 kWh a year.
Sources and further reading
- U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A, Average Price of Electricity to Ultimate Customers by End-Use Sector, by State, July 2026 and July 2025 (https://www.eia.gov/electricity/monthly/epm_table_grapher.php?t=epmt_5_6_a)
- BH-USA, Marathon 3/4 HP Painted Wired Boat Lift Motor: amps, service factor amps, 15-minute time rating (https://www.bh-usa.com/product/marathon-3-4-hp-painted-wired-boat-lift-motor/)
- BH-USA, 1 HP Heavy Duty Elite TENV Wired Boat Lift Motor with Base: amps, service factor 1.25, service factor amps (https://www.bh-usa.com/product/1-hp-heavy-duty-elite-tenv-wired-boat-lift-motor-with-base/)
- NFPA 70, National Electrical Code, Table 430.248, full-load current of single-phase AC motors (https://www.nfpa.org/)
- Kasco Marine 4400D de-icer specifications as listed by Pond Pro: 1 hp, 120 V, 9.1 A (https://pondpro.ca/4400d-de-icer)
- Boating Magazine, "Sunstream Is Rewriting the Rules of What a Boat Lift Can Do," sponsored post, June 2026, and "Not Your Grandfather's Boat Lift," sponsored post, June 2026: LiftBar speed, power connection, regenerative braking (https://boatingmag.com/sponsored-post/sunstream-is-rewriting-the-rules-of-what-a-boat-lift-can-do/)