Our homes need a lot of energy for the air conditioning units, water heaters, and other systems we may have in place. There’s also another appliance we depend on almost every day, and it must be powered with electricity to operate – the dishwasher.
It’s often perceived that washing dishes by hand will save you a significant amount of cash by reducing your electricity bills, as compared to using a dishwasher to get your dishes clean. Fair enough, there’s some truth in this. However, a dishwasher offers a lot more benefits to the user and the environment.
Using a dishwasher can be more eco-friendly. Dishwashers minimize the amount of water used, which in turn reduces the amount of energy used to clean your utensils. Besides saving you time and effort, they also reduce water and energy consumption.
Whether a dishwasher uses a lot of electricity or just a tiny amount of it depends on a wide range of things. It varies depending on how often you run the dishwasher, the model of your dishwasher, the cycle you pick, and the time of the day you decide to turn it on. But generally, modern dishwashers are energy-efficient and can be cheaper to use as compared to hand washing your dishes.
Do Dishwashers Use a Lot of Electricity?
A dishwasher can consume between 1200 to 2400 watts. An average dishwasher uses 1800 watts for every cycle.
A dishwasher needs electricity only for the pump and the control electronics. If you want an accurate figure of the cost of running a dishwasher, you need to verify how many watts your dishwasher needs, the number of hours you use it, and the price you pay per kilowatt for every hour.
When you compare the amount of electricity a dishwasher uses and the amount you use during hand washing, then you’ll see a dishwasher could save you more energy.
The cost of heating water in a dishwasher is less than how much more water you use while cleaning dishes by hand. Whenever you use more water, a huge amount of energy is required for heating; therefore it costs you more.
When you invest in a decent energy-efficient machine that’s proven as being energy-efficient, then you can be confident you’re using a little electricity. Some older models may consume a lot of power, so it’s advisable to check your dishwasher’s manual for more details.
How Much Does It Cost to Run a Dishwasher per Day/Month/Year?
A maximum of 1,800 watts is enough for most dishwashers. If you have a model that falls within this range, that will be 1.8 kilowatt-hours of electricity used up for every hour you operate it. Finally, the amount you spend on water typically depends on how much your local authorities charge.
For example, if you live in the US, you’ll pay an average of $0.13 per kWh, so if you use your dishwasher for an hour a day, that’s $0.234 per day. Your monthly expense depends on how much you’ll run your dishwasher for the whole month.
Unfortunately, sometimes there may be miscellaneous expenses on your dishwasher, such as repairs. However, these can’t be expensive, and they rarely occur.
Most dishwasher cycles are somewhere between 1.5 hours and 4 hours long. The table below is based on 2 hours of usage per day, which might be far more than some actually use their dishwasher, and less than others. This depends on a lot of things, such as family size, etc.
Here’s what you can expect to pay for a range of different dishwashers, based on average usage and average kWh in the US. If you live elsewhere, these prices may be inaccurate. They can, however, be used as guidelines for what’s reasonable.
| Unit | Wattage | Cost Per Day | Cost Per Week | Cost Per Month |
| Bosch 300 Series | 1300 | $0.338 | $2.36 | $10.28 |
| Samsung DW60M5050FS | 1800 | $0.46 | $3.26 | $13.04 |
| Bosch SPU40E62SK | 2400 | $0.62 | $4.75 | $18.98 |
Another thing that makes the power usage go up substantially is the drying function that many modern dishwashers come with. So, if your dishwasher comes with a drying function and you’re trying to keep your electricity bill down – I suggest not using the function at all.
Just air dry your plates and utensils on the counter for an hour or two. Doing so will end up saving you a good amount of money at the end of the year.
Remember to always fully load your dishwasher (but don’t surpass the recommended limit) to make sure you get as much as possible out of every cycle you run.
Is it Okay to Run a Dishwasher Every Day?
Sometimes it isn’t easy to get the actual amount of energy a dishwasher consumes. Typically, a dishwasher’s control electronics and pump use around 1200 watts, which is almost the same amount needed by a blow dryer. It’s safe to say that’s not a lot of electricity.
Arguing from an energy perspective, it’s not a bad idea to run a dishwasher every day, provided it’s packed with dishes to the suitable capacity, and there’s a genuine need to use it.
Is It Cheaper to Run a Dishwasher During the Night?
During peak times, the cost of energy depends on the state. There are higher rates charged during the times of the day whenever everyone is busy and the demand is high. That is the time between 1 pm and 7 pm.
During the partial peak hours, you’ll pay 25% less. This time is from 10 am to 1 pm, and 7 pm to 9 am. A lot of utility companies will charge super low off-peak rates during all the other times, which is inclusive of the holidays.
Is It Cheaper to Use a Dishwasher Than to Dish by Hand?
Usually, most dishwashers require 11 to 13 liters of water for every cycle. Astonishingly, hand washing can use up to 9 times this amount of water.
A dishwasher saves you a lot of water so use it if you have one! Besides saving money, a dishwasher also saves energy, providing an energy-efficient household under a manageable bill. Now it’s easy to pick between a dishwasher and handwashing; a dishwasher is a choice you won’t regret.
Does a Dishwasher Save Water?
As stated earlier, cleaning your dishes using a dishwasher can save you water, unlike washing every dish by hand, which would require much more water.
But if you want your dishwasher to serve you well, make sure you fill it correctly. That means filling it reasonably and making sure you stack it in a way that ensures all items in it are washed.
How Often Should I Use My Dishwasher?
There isn’t a specific amount of time that’s right or wrong to run a dishwasher in a day or a month. It all depends on the needs of the household. Some households have larger families that take bigger meals, and such kinds of homes might require to use a dishwasher more.
Small households consisting of single individuals or couples who don’t eat food at their homes every day will need the services of a dishwasher less frequently. One thing that needs to be observed by all is to make sure the dishwasher is not crowded; rather, it should be fairly full for the ease and proper cleaning of the utensils.
If you don’t use your dishwasher often, you might want to run it at the end of every week to ensure the motor seals are working properly.
How Many Dishes Can a Dishwasher Hold?
The loading capacity of a dishwasher is determined by how many “place settings” the dishwasher can hold. So what’s a place setting, you ask?
This is what’s included in one place setting:
- One large dinner plate
- One small snack plate
- One saucer
- One bowl
- One coffee cup
- One drinking glass
- One knife
- Two teaspoons
- One regular fork
- One small salad fork
While a traditional place setting is the manufacturer’s unit of measurement, I believe one place setting equals much more dish than one person will generate during a regular family dinner.
However, I often end up putting some items that aren’t included in that list in the dishwasher. When those extra items are taken into account, then you’re closer to reaching one place setting per person.
Most dishwashers can hold between 12-16 place settings, which equals about 130-180 items on a full load. In addition to place settings, some measure the width, height, and depth of the dishwasher to determine its capacity. The standard measurements for most dishwashers are 24 inches deep, 35 inches high, and 24 inches wide.
This equals about 12-14 place settings – but most likely reaching up to 16 place settings if loaded properly.
How Much Should You Load a Dishwasher?
You should always try to fill every spot in both the upper and lower rack of your dishwasher before running a cycle. Running a washing cycle with a half-empty machine is just not worth it. You’re wasting water, energy, and you’re leaving more space for your dishes to move around – and potentially break.
If you’re running semi-filled dishwashers frequently, either wait longer before you start your cycles to make sure you have more time to load the machine or start washing dishes by hand when you only have a few dishes to take care of.
But what about the half-load cycle feature that my dishwasher has? Sure, if your dishwasher comes with the half-load feature, that’s good. It reduces the amount of water used during the cycle by turning off water distribution to the racks that aren’t loaded.
However, it seems like the half-load feature on most machines merely saves 10-25% water and energy, making it a less lucrative and resourceful option.
You could, alternatively, change your dishwasher for a smaller one if you’re having a hard time filling the machine. Doing so will save you a bit of money in the long run.
How to Save Money When Using a Dishwasher
Here are a few handy tips to ensure your dishwasher is efficient for you:
- Clean your dishwasher regularly to prevent the clogging of the filter and spray arm with limescale, food, and soap scam, which is likely to reduce the effectiveness of your dishwasher.
- Open your dishwasher door immediately after the cycle is complete, and the dishes are still hot. It speeds up evaporation, and you don’t need to use the heated dry setting, which eventually saves energy.
- If your dishwasher is an older version, consider upgrading it to a newer and energy-efficient type.
- Don’t congest your dishwasher so that water can circulate freely, and clean your utensils thoroughly to prevent you from rerunning the machine, which would require more water and energy.
- If you use air conditioning during the hot summer days, avoid turning the dishwasher when it’s hotter. The dishwasher produces additional heat in your house, making your air conditioner work harder, in return consuming more energy.
Using a dishwasher the right way saves energy. Better still, it cleans all your dishes and compensates for any laziness you may feel when it comes to tidying up the dishes. After all, nobody enjoys doing the dishes, especially after eating.