Tips for choosing an efficient dishwasher

About 30% of households in Australia own a dishwasher. Dishwashers are generally used between 4 and 7 times per week, although this varies by household.

A majority of the energy used in a dishwasher is for water heating so energy efficient models can save both energy and water! Look for the stars!

A dishwasher with a good range of programs, including economy options, will allow you match the dishwasher's performance to your needs and help you save energy and water.

This web site and the energy label show energy consumption, energy star rating and water consumption for dishwashers (see the interactive list of all the dishwashers that are on the market). The water efficiency of dishwashers is shown in the form of a star rating on the water rating label (WELS scheme) which is now mandatory for display in store showrooms. The WELS website contains a database of water star ratings for all dishwashers.

Water connection mode is important for a dishwasher:

Cold water connection will use the least energy - the dishwasher heats its own water only for the parts of the cycle where hot water is needed, but the energy (in the form of electricity) generally costs more (unless you are on a time of use tariff, which is still unusual for households, and run the machine overnight).
If you have a gas or solar hot water system, models that can be connected to both hot and cold water will save carbon dioxide and operating costs, but models with dual connection are now rare. You will also save energy costs if you have an off peak electric hot water system.
A dishwasher connected only to hot water will use the most energy, although it may be marginally more economical if you have off peak electric, solar or mains gas hot water.

Saving energy when using a dishwasher
Show me the award winning dishwashers
Show me all the dishwashers that are on the market

This page last modified 05 July 2007