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Which dishwasher program is cheapest?

By Last reviewed

Eco. In Victoria a typical machine costs $0.23 a load on eco, $0.29 on normal, $0.31 on a hot one-hour quick wash and $0.36 on intensive.

Your dishwasher

Pick a size

Pick a program

Between 0 and 21

Hot water and hand washing

It heats the water for hand washing and hot fill.

Pick a system

Only 5 of the 460 models on sale take a hot water connection. Read your manual.

Pick one

Pick one

Advanced settings
Advanced

From the Energy Rating label. It assumes 365 washes a year.

Between 50 and 600

From the water rating label.

Between 2 and 40

Between 0 and 200

Usage charge only. Add sewage if your bill charges it per kL.

Between 0 and 10

Gas hot water only.

Between 0 and 20

See result ↓

Your result

A load costs

$0.23

Typical (AU median) on Eco (the label program): 0.67 kWh and 11.5 litres a load at 27.2c/kWh.

A year
$47
Eco would be
$0.23a load
Electricity a load
$0.18
Water a load
$0.04
Washing by hand
$1.25a load

Washing by hand (Typical (one sink, rinsing)) would cost $212 a year more.

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Every program, a load
ProgramEnergy × ecoA load
Eco (the label program)× 1$0.23
Normal or auto× 1.3$0.29
Quick (about 1 hour, hot)× 1.4$0.31
Short or light (30 to 45 minutes, cool)× 0.8$0.20
Intensive× 1.6$0.36

How we calculated this

  • One load starts from the Energy Rating label, scaled for the program.
  • It is priced at the electricity rate plus the water usage price.
  • Washing by hand is costed from the heat in the water and what the hot water system pays for that heat.

Full method, tables and sources: Cost to run a dishwasher

  1. Take the label and scale it for your program

    0.67 kWh and 11.5 L a load

  2. Price one load

    $0.18 power + $0.04 water = $0.23

  3. Add up a year

    208 loads: $47

  4. Compare washing by hand

    $1.25 by hand (Electric storage tank)

The label figure is for the eco program, but most people run normal or auto. This version starts on eco in Victoria, and the table under the result shows every program side by side.

What we found

Dated third-party source

  • Normal or auto: × 1.3 the eco energy. Topten International lab tests, May 2017 (3 EU models, 62 tests): other programs 25 to 35% more energy. Which? (19 Jan 2026): main program × 1.36 energy, × 1.22 water.
  • Quick: × 1.4. Which? lab test, 19 Jan 2026 (3 models): quick wash × 1.42 energy and × 1.18 water of eco.
  • Short or light: × 0.8, about 20% less than eco, for lightly soiled loads only. Topten International lab tests, May 2017 (3 EU models, 62 tests): short programs use about 20% less energy than eco, for lightly soiled loads.
  • Intensive: × 1.6. Topten International lab tests, May 2017 (3 EU models, 62 tests): intensive programs 50 to 70% more energy than the label program.

Want the full running cost? See the dishwasher running cost calculator.

Questions

Why is eco longer but cheaper?

It washes at a lower temperature for longer. Heating the water is most of the energy in a cycle, so a cooler, slower wash uses less.

Is a quick wash cheaper?

No. A hot one-hour quick wash used about 40% more energy than eco in a lab test (Which?). A cool 30 to 45 minute short or light program uses about 20% less, for lightly soiled loads.

Which program is the star rating based on?

The program the maker recommends for a normally soiled load. On most models on sale that is an eco program (Energy Rating register).

Does a half load save much?

Not much: about 10% less energy (Topten). Wait for a full load.