CEC Portable Spas and Hot Tubs – Settlements and Penalites Imposed on Manufacturers

Since their inception, hot tubs and spas have been some of the most energy consuming appliances in any household.  In fact, in the early days a hot tub could have averaged a homeowner about $100 per month which is a luxury most people could not afford.  Over time and with improved design, engineering, and awareness hot tubs and spas have become less costly to own and operate.  There is still a long way to go as some manufacturers have been more conscious about energy consumption than others and up until the last 10 years there has been very little state or federal oversight on energy consumption.  In fact, one state (California), took the initiative to push back onto the pool and spa industry and many other states have followed suit since then.  In 2009 the California Energy Commission also referred to as the CEC applied regulations and requirements for all hot tubs either manufactured or sold in the state of California.  Current regulations require all spas sold to be tested and certified to the Appliance Efficiency Database  (also referred to as the California MAEDBS Database). 

California is the single largest market for hot tubs in the entire country so when the CEC stepped in everyone in the industry took notice.

The CEC requirements were put into place in 2009 however proper enforcement wasn’t in place until 2015.  Here’s a list of Companies whom were found to be in non-compliance  and were imposed fines and penalties as a result;

1. Master Spas Pays $152,500 in Penalties
2. Maax Spas Pays $152,500 in Penalties
3. West Coast Spas Pays $31,000 in Penalties 
4. Dynasty Spas Pays $15,000 in Penalties
5. Clearwater Spas and Divine Spas (Thermal Hydra Plastics) Pays $34,000 Penalties
6. Tuff Spas (Quality Leisure Products) Pays $25,663 Penalties

California continues to pave the way for improved hot tub efficiency and states such as Oregon and Connecticut currently have standards and regulations in place.

For more information you can visit our brands pages, buyers guides, or simply fill out our “Free Local Hot Tub Quotes” form to get competitive prices on hot tubs and swim spas in your local area.