Checked against official sources on 15 October 2026
How much does a dishwasher cost to run?
About $3.66 a month
for a typical standard dishwasher in No match. Pick "Another country" to type your own price. , at 18.31 cents per kWh.
Type your electricity price to see the cost.
- Uses
- 0.66 kWh a day
- Draws while running
- 1,200–2,400 W
- Uses per year
- 240 kWh
Most of a dishwasher's energy goes into heating water and drying the dishes, not into spinning the spray arms. A typical standard certified model is rated at about 240 kWh a year. How you run it, with eco programs, air drying and full loads, changes the real number more than which model you own.
Work out your own dishwasher
Typical use: 240 kWh a year
You'll find it on the appliance's energy label.
Standard or compact
Yearly figures are ENERGY STAR's rated use under the standard test. Costs below use the price you set above.
| Size of dishwasher | Energy per year | Cost per year |
|---|---|---|
| Standard size731 models | $44 | |
| Compact30 models | $28 |
What a dishwasher draws
| When | Power | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Heating water and drying | 1,200–2,400 W | Champion generator wattage chart |
| Cool-dry setting, nothing heating | about 216 W | Honda generator wattage guide |
What it costs in other countries
For a typical standard dishwasher, at each country's official average electricity price.
| Country | Price per kWh | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 18.31 cents | $3.66 | $44 |
| United Kingdom | 26.32 pence | £5.26 | £63 |
| Germany | 36.18 cents | €7.24 | €87 |
| Ireland | 38.71 cents | €7.74 | €93 |
| France | 24.85 cents | €4.97 | €60 |
| Spain | 25.09 cents | €5.02 | €60 |
| Italy | 31.42 cents | €6.28 | €75 |
| Netherlands | 24.40 cents | €4.88 | €59 |
Prices from the U.S. EIA, Ofgem and Eurostat; see Sources below. To see another country, pick it at the top of the page; we cover 51.
How to cut the cost of running your dishwasher
-
Skip heated drying
Heating and drying take far more power than the pump. Air drying or a cool-dry setting cuts the biggest load.
-
Use the eco program
Eco programs heat less water and run cooler, even though they take longer.
-
Only run it when it's full
Fewer runs a year means less heating, whatever the program.
What can power it
Heating the water and drying the dishes take far more power than the pump, as the table above shows. Plan for the top of the heating range when sizing a generator or power station.
Common questions
How much electricity does a dishwasher use per year?
A typical standard ENERGY STAR dishwasher is rated at about 240 kWh a year, across 731 certified models. Compact models are rated at about 155 kWh.
How many watts does a dishwasher use?
Champion's generator wattage chart lists 1,200–2,400 W while a dishwasher runs, mostly for heating water and drying. Honda's guide lists about 216 W on a cool-dry setting, when nothing is being heated.
How much does it cost to run a dishwasher per day?
About $0.12 a day in the United States, at the average price of 18.31 cents per kWh, or about £0.17 a day in the UK at 26.32 pence, for a typical standard dishwasher. That adds up to about $44 or £63 a year.
Sources
- ENERGY STAR Certified Residential Dishwashers data set (U.S. EPA), 761 models, fetched 15 October 2026
- Honda Power Equipment, generator wattage estimation guide
- Champion Power Equipment, generator wattage chart
- Eurostat, Electricity prices for household consumers (nrg_pc_204): consumption band 2,500–4,999 kWh, all taxes and levies included, January–June 2026 (updated 13 October 2026)
- Ofgem energy price cap: average Direct Debit electricity unit rate, England, Scotland and Wales, 1 October to 31 December 2026
- U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electricity Monthly Update: average residential price, July 2026 (released 24 September 2026)
Last checked 15 October 2026. How we get our numbers.