Buying a pool cover or blanket feels like a practical, low-cost compromise: you’re not swimming much, but you’re not ready to pull the plug entirely. The pool stays, the blanket keeps the water cleaner and reduces heating costs, and you tell yourself you’ll use it more next summer. This is a common holding pattern for Southern Highlands homeowners, and it’s worth examining whether it actually makes financial sense compared to just removing the pool.
Quick Answer (BLUF)
A quality solar pool blanket costs $500 to $1,200 installed. But the pool itself continues to cost $2,000 to $5,000 per year in chemicals, electricity, maintenance, repairs, insurance loading, and compliance (council registration). Over five years, you’ll spend $10,000 to $25,000 keeping a pool you rarely use, more than the cost of removing a fibreglass pool outright. If you’re using your pool fewer than 30 days per year, removal almost always makes better financial sense within a 3-5 year horizon.
What a Pool Cover Actually Does (and Doesn’t Do)
A pool blanket or solar cover does several useful things:
- Reduces evaporation (pools can lose 25,000-50,000 litres per year to evaporation in the Southern Highlands climate)
- Reduces heat loss overnight (helpful in the Highlands’ cold winters and cool summers)
- Reduces chemical consumption by limiting UV breakdown and debris ingress
- Reduces filtration runtime slightly
What it does not do:
- Eliminate the ongoing costs of running and maintaining the pool
- Reduce your insurance liability exposure
- Eliminate pool registration and compliance requirements
- Fix structural problems (cracks, surface degradation, equipment failure)
- Change the fact that you’re not using the pool
A pool blanket is an operational efficiency tool. It’s appropriate when you’re actively using and intending to continue using your pool. It is not a financial substitute for pool removal.
The Full Annual Cost of Keeping a Pool in the Southern Highlands
Many homeowners underestimate the total cost of pool ownership. The Southern Highlands climate adds to this cost in specific ways, the cold winters mean pools must be either heated (expensive) or left cold and under-used, and the frost season damages pool equipment and surrounds more aggressively than in Sydney or the coast.
| Cost Category | Typical Annual Cost (Southern Highlands) |
|---|---|
| Pool chemicals (chlorine, pH, algaecide, stabiliser) | $600 to $1,400 |
| Electricity (pump, filtration, lighting) | $800 to $1,500 |
| Pool heating (heat pump or gas) | $1,200 to $3,000 (if used) |
| Annual service / equipment maintenance | $400 to $800 |
| Equipment repairs (average across years) | $500 to $2,000 |
| Pool cover replacement (every 5-7 years) | $100 to $200 per year amortised |
| Insurance premium loading (pool risk) | $200 to $600 |
| Council registration (NSW Pools Register) | Compliance cost, annual checks |
| Water top-up (evaporation + splash loss) | $100 to $300 |
| Total annual cost estimate | $3,900 to $9,800 |
At the high end, a heated pool with aging equipment that needs regular attention, the annual cost can easily exceed $10,000. Even a well-maintained, unheated pool in the Highlands is unlikely to come in under $3,500 per year.
The Financial Comparison Over Time
Let’s compare three scenarios for a Southern Highlands homeowner with a 7m × 3.5m fibreglass pool they use roughly 20 days per year:
| Scenario | Year 1 | Year 3 | Year 5 | Year 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Keep pool + buy blanket | $500 + $4,500 = $5,000 | $14,500 cumulative | $24,000 cumulative | $49,500 cumulative |
| Renovate pool (resurface + new equipment) | $15,000 upfront + $4,500/yr | $29,000 cumulative | $39,000 cumulative | $64,000 cumulative |
| Remove pool (full removal) | $14,000 removal | $14,000 cumulative | $14,000 cumulative | $14,000 cumulative |
The removal scenario becomes financially superior by approximately year 4 compared to “keep with blanket,” and by year 3 compared to “renovate and keep.” These numbers assume the freed pool space doesn’t increase the property’s value (which it often does, see does removing a pool add value).
When Keeping the Pool Makes Sense
The financial case for pool removal is strong, but it isn’t universal. Keeping the pool (with or without a blanket) makes sense if:
- You’re actually using it regularly (40+ days per year)
- You’re planning to sell within the next 12-18 months and your local buyer pool prefers properties with pools
- The pool is structurally sound and recently serviced equipment won’t need replacement soon
- You have children at home who use it consistently
- Your property type (luxury or prestige home) benefits from pool as a value-add feature
In the Southern Highlands specifically, the prestige end of the market (Burradoo, Retford Road, large Bowral properties) tends to support pool ownership as a value contributor. The general market, mid-range suburban properties in Mittagong, Moss Vale, and Bundanoon, increasingly views an old pool as a maintenance burden rather than an asset.
The Hidden Costs of Pool Cover Ownership
Pool blankets and covers have their own costs beyond the initial purchase:
- Replacement cycle: Solar blankets typically last 5-7 years in Southern Highlands UV conditions (despite the cool climate, summer UV is high). A replacement every six years at $500 to $1,200 adds $80 to $200 per year to the holding cost.
- Roller mechanism: A properly installed blanket requires a roller, either a freestanding roller ($300 to $700) or a recessed in-ground roller ($1,500 to $3,000 installed). Rollers rust and need replacement.
- Blanket disposal: Old pool blankets are not recyclable and must go to landfill, see pool blanket and roller disposal for what’s involved.
- Blanket maintenance: Algae growth under blankets, UV degradation, rips and tears all require attention.
Partial Fill-In as a Middle Option
If you want to reduce ongoing costs without committing to full pool removal, a partial fill-in (leaving the pool shell in place but filling it with rubble and soil) is a cost-effective middle option. This eliminates most of the operational costs, no water, no chemicals, no equipment, while costing less than full removal upfront.
Partial fill-in typically costs $8,000 to $14,000 for a concrete pool versus $18,000 to $30,000 for full removal. However, partial fill-in has limitations for future site use. See partial vs full pool removal for a detailed comparison.
Making the Decision
The decision framework is straightforward:
- Calculate your current annual pool cost using the table above
- Estimate your actual usage (be honest, how many days last year?)
- Divide the removal cost by your annual saving, that’s your payback period
- Add any expected increase in property value from removing an aging pool
For most Southern Highlands homeowners with a pool they use fewer than 30 days per year, the numbers favour removal clearly. For those using the pool 50+ days, the ongoing enjoyment value may justify retention, though the financial case alone rarely supports keeping an aging pool.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a solar blanket worth buying if I’m planning to remove the pool in the next few years? No. A blanket costs $500 to $1,200 and you’ll spend that money on something you won’t recover. If removal is within 1-2 years, let the pool run as-is and direct the money toward the removal budget.
Do pool covers reduce my electricity cost significantly? Yes, but less than most people think. A blanket reduces evaporation and heat loss, cutting heating costs by 30-50% if you use a pool heater. For an unheated pool, the electricity saving is more modest, primarily reduced pump runtime from less debris entering the water.
Can I claim pool removal as a tax deduction on a rental property? If the pool is on a rental property, removal costs may be deductible as a capital works or repair expense, depending on circumstances. Consult your accountant, and see pool removal financing and payment options for how to structure the cost.
What’s the cheapest way to stop paying pool running costs? The cheapest short-term option is to drain the pool (carefully, empty fibreglass shells can pop out of the ground), disconnect equipment, and leave it. This has safety and council compliance risks. The correct long-term solution is a council-approved partial fill-in or full removal.
Does a pool cover affect my home insurance pool liability? Not meaningfully. Insurance companies look at pool presence and compliance (fence, gate, registration), not whether you have a cover. A blanket doesn’t reduce your pool liability exposure.
Want to find out exactly how much pool removal would cost for your property, and whether the numbers stack up? Request a free quote from Southern Highlands Pool Removals.