How much does it cost to run a dishwasher – and how can you save money on your washes?

With the cost of living crisis seeing household bills creep higher and higher, you might be looking at ways of cutting costs any way you can.

The first step is understanding which of your household appliances are costing you the most money to use, and perhaps considering limiting how often you use them.

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has made a U-turn on the planned cut to the energy price guarantee as part of his Spring Budget ahead of the impending rise in prices next month.

Now, you might be wondering: Do you need to be loaded before running a load in the dishwasher?

Let’s find out how much each wash cycle is setting you back on average – and how you can save money using it.

How much does a dishwasher cost to run?

To answer this, first, we must look at the average cost of electricity right now.

We’ll use the October 2022 price guarantee, which according to Ofgem should apply to households with typical energy usage – and that pay their energy bills via direct debit. These prices are accurate as of March 2023.

Currently, electricity costs 34p per kWh used.

Now, how many kWh your dishwasher consumes during use will vary – but Which? cites an average of 1.12kWh, and Uswitch says up to 1.5kWh.

And a dishwasher load can take anywhere between one and four hours, depending on the setting you pick – so let’s say it takes 1.5 or two hours (to get a ‘happy medium’ average).

If you use your dishwasher once per day for 1.5 hours, you’re looking at between 57p and 76p per wash.

At this rate, if you use it every day, your estimated average cost will be between £3.99 and £5.32 a week.

If you use it every day for a year, you’ll spend around £208.05 to £277.40 annually.

If you use it for two hours per day, that cost comes to somewhere between 76p and £1.02 per wash.

Used everyday, that’s £5.32 to £7.14 spent per week, and for 365 days of use, then that’s around £277.40 to £372.30 spent annually – just on running your dishwasher.

These figures were calculated using the Sust-It energy cost calculator.

Of course, they are just a guide, as your actual usage will vary depending on a variety of factors.

For one thing: you may not need to use the dishwasher everyday, perhaps every other day or just once or twice per week. Your dishwasher will also have its own ‘kWh’ energy consumption figure, on its energy rating label.

You may be able to slash those costs down by using your dishwasher’s ‘Eco Cycle’ or eco-friendly setting – which typically takes a few hours to wash a load, but costs less due to less water heating.

Dishwashers may end up being a bit cheaper than hand-washing, says Compare The Market – but you’ll also, typically, use up less water with a dishwasher than you would be washing by hand.

Which? found in their October 2022 analysis that dishwashers are, on average, four times more water efficient than hand-washing, when comparing the two per place setting.

The Water Footprint Calculator also says that dishwashers use less water – as little as four gallons (18 litres) to hand-washing’s potential 20 gallons (75 litres).

How can I save money using the dishwasher?

Luckily, there are a number of ways you can save money using your dishwasher – so you don’t need to completely ditch convenience.

Money-saving expert Greg Wilson highlighted the importance of eco settings and eco-friendly products when it comes to our daily usage.

‘Many homeowners are facing frustrations with their monthly energy bills and searching for ways to cut costs,’ he said.

‘Although switching to an eco-friendly machine is an investment upfront, it can save families hundreds of pounds and also help reduce their carbon footprint.

‘We think it is important for all homeowners to understand the positive impacts of eco-friendly appliances in the home, small changes such as washing on eco settings and making sure the machine is full before running a wash, can all make a difference.

Buy an efficient washing machine

If in the market for a newer and more efficient appliance, pay attention to the efficiency scale, Greg Wilson, Founder and CEO of Quotezone.co.uk, urges.

Dishwashers are labelled on an efficiency scale from A-G which is displayed on the front of the machine.

If you are looking to upgrade your appliance, search for dishwashers with an A rating.

This ensures maximum efficiency as they are specifically designed to use less water and energy in the washing cycle.

Stop pre-washing

Many people believe pre-washing their dirty dishes before placing them into the dishwasher is the best way to make sure their plates are squeaky clean.

However, Mr Wilson explains that this does not have any benefit for the dishes, simply scrape any leftover food ahead of putting plates in the machine to help avoid unnecessary water usage.

Eco settings

According to Mr Wilson, those with a slightly older machine should make sure they are switched to an eco setting before washing a load of dirty pots.

The energy-efficient mode on modern machines uses less energy by heating the water slowly over a longer period of time.

Older machines or non-efficient modes retrieve hot water directly from the mains which require far more energy and can add significantly to monthly costs.

Wait for the machine to be full

Your dishwasher should always be full before running a wash, says Mr Wilson.

Running a half-full machine means half your appliance’s energy and water is being wasted, but still contributing to bills.

For smaller families with larger machines concerned about unwanted smells from the unwashed plates, Mr Wilson suggests running a short rinse cycle to freshen things up.

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