DOES A DISHWASHER APPLIANCE SAVE ENERGY COMPARED TO WASHING DISHES IN THE SINK?

5 comments ↓

#1 scott b on 11.16.09 at 6:21 pm

considering the fact that you are using electricity and hot water for about an hour, i’d say no.

#2 Gr8 F8 on 11.16.09 at 6:40 pm

dishwashers use electricity, hand washing does not use electricity (if cold water)

but what is your time worth?

#3 jillolli on 11.16.09 at 7:10 pm

No energy is saved by using an appliance. You use electricity and gas to heat your water to the very high temperatures it needs. You still have to load and unload. Washing dishes by hand is by far cheaper and saves on all accounts. That being said….I would stick to the dishwasher unless you really need to budget.

#4 Nancy M on 11.16.09 at 7:34 pm

Well, depends on how often you plan on using the dishwasher. If your dishwasher is full, it’s said to be cheaper than washing the total by hand due to letting water run when rinsing off the soap. I slightly prerinse something that would harden as I only run the dishwasher every 2-3 days since my youngest moved out. I also make sure dishes are removed when finished, I don’t use the dry cycle either, just air dry cycle. I have an Asko dishwasher that uses 2/3 less water than other dishwashers, I also have the Asko laundry machine that uses much less water even though it has 5 rinse cycles and it uses 2 tablespoons of soap maximum. The newer American brands are a lot better than they used to be and probably cheaper to purchase than when we bought ours as the American companies weren’t thinking ecologically as much as they are now. I don’t remember the stats on the dishwasher but the clothes washer consumes $23 a year with an electric hot water heater and $12 a year with a gas hot water heater. Before purchasing any appliance, check the energy guide.

#5 hillbillynamedpossum on 11.16.09 at 7:35 pm

a dish washer uses far less water than hand washing. if u turn off the heating elements(energy saver mode) a dish washer would cost less to wash the dishes