How much does it cost to run a dishwasher?
We've pre-filled a typical dishwasher below. Set your electricity rate and adjust the hours to match how you use yours — the cost updates instantly.
Typical power 1,800W
Usual range 1,200–2,400W
Category Kitchen
A dishwasher's electricity bill is almost all about heat: a little runs the pump, but the big draw is heating the wash water and running the heated-dry element at the end. A typical cycle is a bit over an hour, so the daily cost depends mostly on how often you run it and which options you pick.
Skip the heated dry and the same machine costs noticeably less per load — the dishes get just as clean.
What drives the cost of running a dishwasher
- Heated dry can be a third of the cycle's energy — and it's optional.
- 'Heavy'/'sanitize' cycles heat more water and run longer than normal/eco.
- If your hot water is electric, the dishwasher's water heating shows up there too.
How to cut it
- Turn off heated dry and pop the door open to air-dry — biggest easy saving.
- Use the eco/normal cycle and only run full loads.
- Skip the pre-rinse-by-hand habit; scrape instead and let the machine do its job.