How Much Does It Cost to Run a Dishwasher? (UK 2026)

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So, how much does it cost to run a dishwasher? At the October 2026 Ofgem price cap rate of 26.32p per kWh, a typical full-size dishwasher costs about 24p per cycle on the eco programme, about 32p on a normal or auto cycle and about 39p on an intensive wash. Run it four times a week on eco and that is roughly £49 a year; run it every day on a normal cycle and it is closer to £115.

That makes the dishwasher a mid-sized household appliance: dearer than a washing machine on a 30-degree wash, far cheaper than a tumble dryer, and much cheaper than most people assume. This guide shows where the figures come from, what each programme costs, how a dishwasher compares with washing up by hand, and which habits actually move the bill.

All figures use 26.32p per kWh, the same rate as our other appliance running cost guides. The cost per cycle figures are planning estimates for a typical modern machine rather than lab results, so your own machine may sit a little either side.

How much does it cost to run a dishwasher per cycle?

Every appliance running cost comes from one sum:

Energy used (kWh) x your unit rate (p/kWh) = cost per cycle

For a dishwasher, almost all of the electricity goes on heating water, first for the main wash and then for the final rinse, and on the drying phase at the end. The pump and electronics use very little. That is why the programme you choose matters more than the size of the machine.

These are typical figures for a modern full-size machine (12 to 14 place settings) with a full load:

A slimline or compact machine uses less per cycle, usually somewhere around 0.6 to 0.8 kWh on eco, so it costs roughly 16p to 21p. A few modern machines are rated lower still on their energy label, so check the manual or the label on the door for the exact kWh figure for your eco programme.

Why the eco programme is cheaper when it runs for longer

Eco cycles often take three or four hours, which looks wasteful until you look at what happens inside. The machine washes at a lower temperature and soaks for longer, so it heats less water by fewer degrees. The energy label for a dishwasher is measured on the eco programme for exactly this reason.

If you want a number to remember, eco is about a quarter cheaper than a normal cycle and about 40 per cent cheaper than an intensive one. Quick washes are not always the bargain they sound: they use hotter water over a shorter time, so they often cost about the same as eco and clean less well on a fully loaded rack.

How much does it cost to run a dishwasher per year?

Multiply the cost per cycle by how many times you run it. Here is the yearly bill at four cycles a week (208 cycles) and one a day (364 cycles):

A single person running one load every other day on eco pays about £44 a year. A family of five running it daily on a normal cycle pays about £115. Either way it sits well below a fridge freezer or an old tumble dryer, and the difference between a sensible habit and a wasteful one is about £60 a year.

How much does it cost to run a dishwasher per hour?

Dishwashers do not draw a steady amount while they run. The heating element pulls around 2kW while it heats the water, which is only a fraction of the cycle, and the rest of the time the machine draws very little. A three-hour eco cycle that uses 0.9 kWh therefore averages around 8p an hour, even though the heating phase costs more per minute than the rest.

If you want to see the real draw, a Tapo P110 smart plug with energy monitoring records the actual kWh of each cycle. A dishwasher is usually plugged into a standard socket under the worktop, so a plug-in monitor works for most kitchens. Run it for a week on each programme and you will have your own cost per cycle instead of a typical one.

Dishwasher or washing up by hand: which is cheaper?

This is the question behind most dishwasher searches, and the honest answer is that a full, well-loaded dishwasher on eco usually wins on water and is level or slightly worse on pure energy cost, depending on how you heat your hot water.

• Water. A modern dishwasher uses roughly 10 to 14 litres for a full eco cycle. Washing the same number of items by hand with the tap running often uses several times that. Even a careful two-bowl wash uses 15 to 25 litres. If you are on a water meter, this is where the dishwasher saves most.
• Energy. If your hot water comes from a gas boiler, heating a couple of bowls of water costs only a few pence at 7.97p per kWh, so a careful hand wash can be cheaper than 24p of electricity on a small load. If your hot water is electric, such as an immersion heater, the two are much closer. See our guide to immersion heater running costs for what that hot water costs.
• Load. A dishwasher only makes sense when it is full. Running it half empty doubles the cost per plate and wipes out any saving over hand washing.

The practical conclusion is that the choice should not rest on the electricity bill, because the difference is a few pounds a year either way. Run it full on eco, skip the pre-rinse, and it is a perfectly sensible way to wash up.

What actually drives the cost

Programme and temperature

As with a washing machine, temperature dominates. Going from eco at about 50°C to intensive at 65-70°C adds roughly two thirds to the cost of every cycle. Keep the intensive setting for baked-on roasting trays, not for ordinary plates.

The drying phase

Many dishwashers finish with a heated drying phase. On some machines this is a few pence per cycle; on others it is meaningful. If your machine has an option to switch off the heated dry, or to open the door and let the steam escape, you can save a little each time. Opening the door at the end of the rinse and letting the contents air dry costs nothing, though the plates will be damp for a while.

Load size and loading order

A half-empty dishwasher heats the same water as a full one. Wait until it is properly full, but do not cram it: blocked spray arms leave dirty plates that need washing again, which cancels the saving. Load the bigger items at the sides and back so water reaches the middle.

Age and condition

Older machines can use around 1.7 kWh on a normal cycle, against 1.2 kWh or less for a good modern one. A blocked filter, limescale on the element or a worn spray arm all force the machine to work harder for the same result. A dishwasher cleaner and descaler used every month or two, and a wipe of the filter, is cheap upkeep in hard water areas.

Standby

A dishwasher draws a watt or so when idle. Over a year that is a couple of pounds at most, so unplugging it after each cycle is not worth the effort.

How a dishwasher compares with other appliances

The dishwasher costs about the same as a washing machine on a 40-degree wash, roughly £49 a year against £44 at four loads a week, and a long way less than the tumble dryer that so often sits beside it. If you want to cut the cost of washing and drying, start with the dryer. Our washing machine running cost guide, tumble dryer guide and heated airer guide give the full figures.

Is it cheaper to run a dishwasher at night?

On a standard variable tariff the price per kWh is the same at 3am as at 6pm, so timing changes nothing. It only matters if you are on a time-of-use tariff or generate your own electricity:

• Off-peak tariffs. Economy 7 and the various smart tariffs charge much less for some hours, typically overnight. As a purely illustrative example, a 0.9 kWh eco cycle at 13p per kWh instead of 26.32p would cost about 12p instead of 24p. Check your own tariff for the actual off-peak rate and hours.
• Solar panels. Running the dishwasher in the middle of the day uses electricity you generated yourself rather than buying it. Our solar panel costs guide explains what a typical system produces, and our solar battery storage guide covers shifting loads like this.
• Delay start. Most dishwashers have a delay-start button, which is the simplest way to move a cycle into an off-peak window. Check the manual for the longest delay available, and remember a dishwasher running overnight should be a recent, well-maintained machine.

A smart meter with an in-home display shows you the real-time cost as a cycle runs. Our in-home display comparison and smart meter savings guide explain how to use one.

7 ways to cut your dishwasher running costs

1. Use the eco programme by default. It is the one the energy label is based on, and it is about a quarter cheaper than a normal cycle. Roughly £16 a year at four cycles a week.
2. Only run it full. One full load beats two half loads every time. Scrape plates rather than rinsing them under a hot tap; modern detergents and sensors are designed for lightly soiled dishes.
3. Reserve intensive for the dirty stuff. The 65-70 degree programme costs about 39p against 24p for eco.
4. Switch off the heated dry, or open the door. Where your machine allows it, let the dishes air dry at the end.
5. Clean the filter and spray arms monthly, and descale if you live in a hard water area. A clogged machine works harder for worse results.
6. Shift it to off-peak or solar hours if your tariff or panels reward it.
7. Measure it. An energy-monitoring plug turns every estimate in this guide into your own figure. Try our smart meter savings calculator to see how much shifting your biggest loads could save.

Is it worth replacing an old dishwasher to save money?

Usually not on running costs alone. Because a cycle costs 24p to 45p for most households, even a much more efficient machine saves perhaps £10 to £30 a year, which is nowhere near enough to fund a £350 to £600 purchase. Replace a dishwasher when it is failing, not to chase the energy label.

The exception is a very old machine that only uses hot water from its own element for every stage, or one whose cycles have crept up well beyond the programme time. If plates are coming out dirty and you keep re-running the machine, that is costing you far more than the electricity figures suggest.

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to run a dishwasher once?

A single cycle on the eco programme costs about 24p at 26.32p per kWh. A normal or auto cycle is about 32p and an intensive wash about 39p. A rinse or glass programme can be as little as 18p.

How much does it cost to run a dishwasher on eco?

About 24p per cycle for a typical full-size machine using 0.9 kWh, or around £49 a year at four cycles a week. A slimline machine on eco costs nearer 16p to 21p. Check your energy label for the exact kWh.

How much electricity does a dishwasher use?

A modern full-size dishwasher uses roughly 0.9 kWh on eco, about 1.2 kWh on a normal cycle and about 1.5 kWh on an intensive wash. Older machines can use 1.7 kWh or more per cycle.

Is a dishwasher expensive to run?

No. At 24p to 39p a cycle it is one of the cheaper appliances in the home to run, costing about £49 to £144 a year depending on programme and how often you use it. The tumble dryer is a much bigger cost in most households.

Is it cheaper to run a dishwasher or wash up by hand?

It depends on how you heat your hot water and how carefully you wash up. A full dishwasher on eco uses far less water than most hand washing. On energy alone a careful hand wash with gas-heated water can be level or slightly cheaper, while with electric hot water the dishwasher is usually as cheap or cheaper.

Does it cost more to run a dishwasher on a quick wash?

Not necessarily less. A quick wash uses hotter water for a shorter time, so it often costs about the same as eco at around 21p to 24p, and it can clean less well on a full load.

How much does it cost to run a dishwasher per month?

At four eco cycles a week it costs about £4 a month. Running it every day on a normal cycle costs about £10 a month.

The bottom line

A dishwasher is one of the cheaper appliances to run: about 24p a cycle on eco, 32p on a normal cycle, and roughly £49 to £115 a year for most households. The levers that matter are the programme, running it full, and the drying phase, and the difference between the best and worst habits is about £60 a year.

If you want to know what your own machine costs, rather than working from tables, plug it into an energy-monitoring plug for a few cycles and compare it with your smart meter readings.