How much does it cost to run a dishwasher?

A normal dishwasher cycle costs about 26p at the UK price cap (Which? average). Calculator per cycle, month and year, with ADEME measured data and tips.

By the Wisiko editorial team · Published 9 October 2026 · 2 min read

Pick the efficiency profile: the calculator fills in a default energy use per cycle, which you can replace with your model’s figure. On the EU/UK energy label, consumption is shown as kWh per 100 Eco cycles: divide by 100 for kWh per cycle.

Where the defaults come from

Which? measures dishwasher energy use in the lab and publishes annual running costs for five normal washes a week (260 cycles a year) at the Ofgem price-cap rate of 26.32p/kWh. Dividing those costs by the price and by 260 gives the energy per cycle:

The Eco programme on the energy label (often longer and slightly cooler) usually uses less than the “normal” programme in these tests: check the product sheet for the exact figure.

Cost per cycle and per year

At five cycles a week:

US dishwashers are often larger and may use a heated dry by default; your model’s Energy Guide sticker is the best source for US-market machines.

Real-world use is often lower

ADEME estimates about 150 kWh a year at 166 cycles (≈ 0.90 kWh per cycle) for a typical French household. In its Elecdom panel (July 2023 to July 2024), 72 dishwashers were metered individually:

• median 135 kWh a year;
• half the units between 71 and 191 kWh.

That fits a real-world rhythm often below five washes a week. See our measured appliance energy table for other appliances.

Six ways to cut the cost

1. Run full loads only: two half loads cost almost twice as much.
2. Prefer Eco over auto or intensive for everyday washing.
3. Skip pre-rinsing under a hot tap before loading.
4. Air-dry (open the door at the end) if your model allows it: heated drying uses a lot of energy.
5. Run off-peak if your tariff has a cheaper overnight rate.
6. Clean filters and spray arms: a clogged machine runs longer and uses more.