Once upon a time, people believed that dishwashers cost a fortune to run and were considerably less economical than washing dishes by hand. However, especially with modern dishwashers, this couldn’t be further from the truth.
In fact, as dishwashers use their water more efficiently than you do when washing dishes by hand, and because they use less energy to heat the water, it can prove cheaper to run a dishwasher than to wash everything by hand.
However, this does vary depending on the dishwasher in question. For our list here, we’ve picked the most economical dishwashers available on the market based on their energy usage, the upfront price and the reliability of the brand too.
How Much Does a Dishwasher Cost to Run?
Energy costs
In March 2021, the energy rating system swapped over to a new, simplified system that got rid of all those annoying pluses. The new system runs from G to A, with G being the least efficient and A being the most efficient.
According to our research, the average dishwasher in the UK uses 0.91 kWh of energy per cycle.
At current energy prices of 30p per kWh, this would work out at 27p per dishwasher cycle. If you use it once a day, it would cost £99.65 a year in electricity costs.
However, the most energy-efficient dishwashers can use as little as 0.54 kWh of electricity per cycle, which works out to be just 16p in energy costs per cycle, or £59.13 per year if you use it once a day.
Therefore, choosing a more energy-efficient dishwasher could cut its running costs in half, at least in terms of electricity costs.
Water costs
The perceived cost of water usage is a key consideration for many households when it comes to choosing whether or not to invest in a dishwasher.
However, dishwashers usually use much less water than washing by hand, so you don’t need to worry about a dishwasher wasting water.
Also, the water costs only make up a tiny fraction of the total cost of running a dishwasher. By far the biggest cost is energy costs. At the moment, the typical price of water per litre in the UK is about 0.16p.
The most economical dishwashers use as little as six litres of water per cycle, while older and less efficient models can use 13 litres or more. Therefore, the water costs from running a dishwasher will range from about 1p to 2p depending on how efficient it is.
Dishwasher tablets
Depending on which dishwasher tablets you buy, they can work out very expensive. Dishwasher tablets such as those from Finish or Fairy can easily end up costing you 22p each, if not more. If you choose a supermarket’s own brand, you can get the price per tablet down to less than 12p.
Overall running costs
The average dishwasher will cost about 27p in energy costs per cycle, while the most efficient dishwashers will cost just 16p per cycle.
If you add 2p in water costs and an estimated 12p for a dishwasher tablet, the total cost of running a dishwasher per cycle would be 30p for a more efficient dishwasher and 41p for a less efficient model.
If you run it once a day over the course of the year, your dishwasher will cost you approximately £109-£150 all in.
It’s worth remembering that some dishwashers require salt and rinse aid to be added, but we haven’t included these here as it varies by machine.
With that in mind, however, you can buy a bottle of rinse aid for less than £1.50, and dishwasher salt costs less than £1 per kilo in most supermarkets.
The Most Energy Efficient Dishwashers in the UK
We’ve researched the market and picked out five of the most economical dishwashers available in the UK.
In choosing these dishwashers, we selected the products with the lowest energy usage per cycle.
All of these dishwashers have an energy usage of 0.54 kWh for an eco cycle. We couldn’t find any full-size models with a lower energy usage, so that seems to be the limit at the moment.
1. Bosch Serie 6 SMD6TCX00E Fully Integrated Dishwasher
Energy rating: A
Energy consumption per cycle: 0.54 kWh
Estimated energy cost per cycle: 16p
Place settings: 14
Guarantee: 2 year warranty
The Bosch Serie 6 SMD6TCX00E is a quiet (44 decibels), hassle-free and efficient dishwasher that you can control wherever you are using the Home Connect app.
Instead of the traditional cutlery basket, this Bosch dishwasher has a drawer at the top to help maximise the space on each level. This VarioDrawer is big enough to hold all your cutlery and most knives and utensils, whilst still leaving plenty of space for larger items below.
If you’ve just cooked a delicious meal that’s left loads of residue and burned on food in your pots and pans, simply put these on the bottom shelf and use the IntensiveZone function. This increases the temperature and pressure in the lower basket, without risking any delicate items you’ve placed in the upper basket.
Users love that this dishwasher is easy to use, quiet, can save money on energy bills and that it offers a great range of features for a fairly reasonable price.
2. Bosch Serie 6 SMS6TCi00E Freestanding Dishwasher
Energy rating: A
Energy consumption per cycle: 0.54 kWh
Estimated energy cost per cycle: 16p
Place settings: 14
Guarantee: 2 years
The Bosch Serie 6 freestanding dishwasher is packed with a range of time and energy saving features that can make your life so much easier. The 89 minute quick wash cycle is perfect for those dinner party emergencies, and the adjustable racking means there is space for even large items.
To save you even more money on your utility bills, this dishwasher is fitted with sensors that work out how dirty your plates are, and then adjust all of the settings accordingly to achieve the best results for the lowest cost.
During regular cycles, the EcoSilence Drive keeps the noise level low anyway, but if you need the dishwasher to be whisper quiet, the silence programme is for you.
Users love that this dishwasher presents good value for money, it’s easy to use and affordable to run.
3. Miele G7422SC Wifi Connected Freestanding Dishwasher
Energy rating: A
Energy consumption per cycle: 0.54 kWh
Estimated energy cost per cycle: 16p
Place settings: 14
Guarantee: 2 year warranty
Miele’s G7422SC freestanding dishwasher is an eco-friendly dishwasher with more than enough space for the typical medium-sized family.
At the end of the cycle, this dishwasher will even automatically prop the door open slightly to encourage the dishes to dry naturally, saving you reaching for the tea towel.
As part of the testing process, Miele runs the dishwasher for the equivalent of 20 years use, giving you peace of mind in the appliance’s longevity.
This dishwasher also features Miele’s AutoDos system that uses their PowerDisks. The detergent in these disks last around 20 washes, so you don’t need to worry about refilling it each and every time you use the dishwasher.
Instead of inserting a tablet with each use, the dishwasher will instead automatically dispense the perfect amount of detergent at the moment it needs it.
This might be one of the more expensive dishwashers on this list, however, users love that the dishwasher is easy to use, performs well and feels like it is good quality.
4. Miele G7410 SC Freestanding Dishwasher
Energy rating: A
Energy consumption per cycle: 0.54 kWh
Estimated energy cost per cycle: 16p
Place settings: 14
Guarantee: 2 year guarantee
This Miele dishwasher has a sleek steel finish that will look right at home in a modern kitchen. If you’re in a hurry, this dishwasher has a quick 59-minute cycle that will have your dishes sparkling in no time at all.
To tackle all those awkward small items, this dishwasher has a 3D Multiflex tray that can handle all your cutlery, utensils, measuring spoons and lids with ease. It’s height adjustable too, so it will never get in the way of your mugs and glasses.
Like the Miele G7422SC above, this dishwasher also benefits from the AutoDos detergent system, and that it has been tested to the equivalent of 20 years use.
This dishwasher might be on the pricier side, however it is built to last and provide great results for years to come.
5. Miele G7460 SCVi Integrated Dishwasher
Energy rating: A
Energy consumption per cycle: 0.54 kWh
Estimated energy cost per cycle: 16p
Place settings: 14
Guarantee: 2 year guarantee
This dishwasher from Miele is full of features designed to save you money and time. If you’re in a hurry, the 58-minute quick wash programme can make light work of normally soiled dishes.
For those times you need to wash large pots and pans or very tall glasses, the racks are all adjustable to make fitting these items in even easier. The Multiflex tray has plenty of space for all your utensils and cutlery, and it is height adjustable too to keep it out of the way.
The Miele@home app allows you to control the appliance remotely, check how long the cycle has left, and start the cycle when you want to.
Whilst some reviewers do feel this dishwasher is expensive, it is worth remembering that it cleans well and is cheap to run, whilst Miele’s testing programme tests the machine to the equivalent of 20 years use.
Dishwasher Energy Ratings Explained
As saving energy becomes increasingly important to society, energy rating labels have needed to change. Under the old system, more than 90% of appliances had an A+, A++ or A+++ rating, which just became incredibly confusing to purchasers.
These labels were originally introduced in the 1990s, but the speed at which technology improves meant that it quickly caught up to the best possible ratings, leading to the introduction of the pluses system in 2011.
The scale needed to change to make it easier for consumers to compare products and to bring it up-to-date with modern technological advances.
The new system has got rid of the pluses, and instead runs from A to G, with G being the least efficient and A being the most.
Dishwasher labels used to show measurements based on projected annual usage, however, as this varied by household, it is now based on consumption from the Eco mode over 100 cycles. They also now show the amount of water each cycle uses and how long the Eco cycle takes.
These new dishwasher labels also show the amount of place settings and the noise level, both in decibels and on an A to D scale.
Conclusion
All of the five dishwashers listed hear use just 0.54 kWh of energy per cycle. This means you would only pay 16p per cycle in electricity costs, based on current electricity prices of 30p per kWh.
They are all equally energy efficient, but have different features, styles and prices, so to choose the right one for your home you should consider these other factors.
If we had to pick just one to recommend, it would be the Bosch Serie 6 SMD6TCX00E because it’s very highly rated by users who praise its quiet and effective cleaning performance.
In The Wash is your guide to the best laundry and cleaning products, tips and tricks. Our mission is to solve the UK’s cleaning and laundry dilemmas!
