Dishwasher Running Cost Calculator
Enter your dishwasher’s power use, how often you run it, and your electricity price to get an instant estimate of the cost per cycle, per week, and per year.
Running Cost Calculator
Enter your dishwasher usage to see the estimated cost
Most dishwashers use 0.9 to 1.5 kWh per standard cycle
e.g. once a day = 7, every other day = 3-4
Estimated Running Cost
Calculated from your energy use and price
Dishwasher Cost Reference Chart
Typical dishwasher running costs by programme and frequency at an average UK electricity price of 27p per kWh. Use this to sanity-check your own estimate above.
| Programme / Frequency | Energy Use | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eco Cycle (per run) | 0.7-0.9 kWh | 19p-24p | Lower temperature, longer wash time |
| Standard Cycle (per run) | 1.0-1.3 kWh | 27p-35p | Most common everyday programme |
| Intensive/90°C Cycle (per run) | 1.5-2.0 kWh | 40p-54p | Heavily soiled pots and pans |
| Once a Day (per year) | ~438 kWh | ~£118 | 1.2 kWh cycle, 7 days a week |
| Every Other Day (per year) | ~219 kWh | ~£59 | 1.2 kWh cycle, 3.5 days a week |
Dishwasher Running Cost FAQ
Everything you need to know about how much it costs to run a dishwasher.
A typical dishwasher uses around 1 to 1.5 kWh per cycle. At an average UK electricity price of 27p per kWh, this works out to roughly 27p to 40p per cycle, depending on the programme used.
Yes. Eco mode uses lower water temperatures and a longer wash cycle, which typically reduces energy consumption by 20% to 40% compared to a standard or intensive cycle, despite taking longer to run.
Running a dishwasher once a day at an average energy use of 1.2 kWh per cycle costs approximately £118 per year at 27p per kWh. Running it every other day roughly halves this to around £59 per year.
A full, efficient dishwasher load is often cheaper and uses less water than washing the same amount by hand with a running hot tap, though this depends heavily on how the dishwasher is loaded and the programme selected.