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Is a dishwasher cheaper than washing by hand?

By Last reviewed

For a typical hand washer, yes. A typical hand wash of 12 place settings uses 103 litres and 2.5 kWh of heat (University of Bonn): about $1.39 with an electric storage tank in NSW, against $0.26 for an eco dishwasher load.

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

$0.26

Typical (AU median) on Eco (the label program): 0.67 kWh and 11.5 litres a load at 33.1c/kWh.

A year
$55
Eco would be
$0.26a load
Electricity a load
$0.22
Water a load
$0.04
Washing by hand
$1.39a load

Washing by hand (Typical (one sink, rinsing)) would cost $234 a year more.

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Every program, a load
ProgramEnergy × ecoA load
Eco (the label program)× 1$0.26
Normal or auto× 1.3$0.34
Quick (about 1 hour, hot)× 1.4$0.36
Short or light (30 to 45 minutes, cool)× 0.8$0.22
Intensive× 1.6$0.42

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

    $0.22 power + $0.04 water = $0.26

  3. Add up a year

    208 loads: $55

  4. Compare washing by hand

    $1.39 by hand (Electric storage tank)

Hand washing uses the water your hot water system heats, so its cost depends on that system. This version starts with an eco dishwasher load against a typical hand wash of the same 12 place settings, on New South Wales rates.

What we found

Dated third-party source

  • A typical hand wash used 103 litres and 2.5 kWh of heat for 12 place settings (Stamminger et al., University of Bonn, 2003).

Official source

  • The most careful country average was 35 litres and 0.9 kWh (Berkholz, Kobersky and Stamminger, 2013).

Estimate

  • We put washing under a running tap at 150 litres and 3.5 kWh. The study says it uses the most water but gives no figure.
  • The kWh of heat is heat in the water, not what the hot water system used. We divide by your system's efficiency, from the same hot water model as our heat pump calculator.

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

Questions

How much water does hand washing use?

About 103 litres for 12 place settings on average, and 35 litres for the most careful washers (University of Bonn). An eco dishwasher load uses 11.5 litres on the median machine.

What if I wash in two sinks?

Pick "Careful" under hand washing. In NSW with an electric tank that is $0.49 a load, still more than an eco dishwasher load at $0.26.

Does a heat pump change the answer?

For a typical washer it narrows the gap: with a heat pump in NSW a typical hand wash costs $0.70, against $0.26 for an eco dishwasher load. A careful washer on a heat pump beats even an eco load: $0.24 against $0.26.

Is hand washing cheaper with gas hot water?

Cheaper than on an electric tank, but for a typical washer not cheaper than an eco load: $0.92 a typical hand wash on instant gas in NSW, against $0.26 for an eco load.