A woman has shared an 'amazing idea' to keep her paddling pool warm, but it's left the internet divided. Check it out:
TikTok user Dee Dee shared the paddling pool hack on her page, demonstrating how she uses a Lay-Z-Spa hot tub heater attached to a filter system to keep it warm.
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Now you might be wondering why anyone would want to make the water warmer in this heatwave, but anyone who's ever attempted to step foot in one of these things will know that hose pipe water is a different kind of cold.
In a follow-up video, the UK mum explained that the filter isn't plugged in as the heater does all the work, and so they just cut one of the pipes to make it fit.
Dee Dee's idea has since gone viral, amassing thousands of comments from the online community.
Many people love the idea and have said they're going to try it themselves, with one writing: "Brilliant idea."
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"That's a great shout! I have this pool and have tried using the solar mats but they are useless," said another, while a third added: "That's thinking outside the box, I like it."
However, the overwhelming consensus among commenters is the concern about what impact this could have on Dee Dee's electricity bill.
As the UK is painfully aware, the biggest jump in domestic energy bills in living memory came into effect in April, leaving families facing further financial struggles amid the cost-of-living crisis.
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People have spoken out against the massive spike in their electricity bills after Ofgem raised the price cap in the average home from £1,277 to £1,971.
With this in mind, many TikTokers shared their own experiences with the Lay-Z-Spa heating system, although the prices they claim to pay vary drastically.
One said: "£28 a day to heat… we have the 30ft pool, take me 4 days to heat and £30 a day," while another wrote: "You need to time it properly otherwise it’ll throw an error. Also it uses 0.68p per day."
A third chimed in: "It cost me £16 to get my lazy spa up to heat, used to be £8 and that's with a the top on it, god knows how much that's costing you. Better sell a kidney."
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With estimates ranging from 68p to £30 per day, we thought we'd take a look at some statistics to see if the hack really is worth doing.
First up, it goes without saying that this will very much depend on the size of your pool - more water, more electricity. And this rule applies to how often the pool is used, too.
According to the hot tub company's website, the estimated running cost of a Lay-Z-Spa is now around £7 to £10 a week.
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But these estimates are based on an average-sized hot tub that's used about three or four times a week for 30-45 minutes.
As it stands, the average electricity costs per kWh in the UK are estimated to be at just over 23p.
To figure out the cost of usage, they explain that you multiply the kWh and hours to figure out watts per hour, and then multiply watts per hour with the energy tariff, and you'll have your answer.
Lay-Z-Spa Cancun tub, for example, is 2.05 kWh - so if you're using it to heat a swimming pool you're going to need to run it for longer.
Say you had it going for three hours - the amount Dee Dee said she has it on per day when her family are using the pool - this would set you back just over 94p.
In short, it appears the hack is the ideal solution if you've got a few spare quid a week; a Lay-Z-Spa heater system and a family-sized paddling pool.
And if you don't, there's always the hose pipe.
Daisy Phillipson