Dishwasher electricity use: what one load costs
The eco programme takes long but uses little power. Here is what that means in kronor.
Checked by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method and sources
A dishwasher’s eco programme uses about 0.5 to 1 kWh and around 10 litres of water per load, depending on the machine’s age and energy class, according to the Swedish Energy Agency. In a house in Sundsvall with Sundsvall Elnät’s grid fee, energy tax and VAT, at the Statistics Sweden average variable price for SE2, power costs 151.1 öre/kWh. One load then costs between SEK 0.76 and SEK 1.51. Five loads a week at the upper figure come to SEK 393 a year. The figures apply to the eco programme; other programmes may use more or less, as the manual will show. The calculator uses your machine’s consumption, how often you run it and your own power price; paste today’s prices and it also suggests the cheapest start time.
Dishwasher: cost per use
SEK 1.51
SEK 393 a year at 5.0 uses a week
| All-in price per kWh | 151.1 öre/kWh |
| Energy per use | 1.00 kWh |
| Cost per week | SEK 8 |
| Cost per year | SEK 393 |
Assumptions
Energy per load from the Swedish Energy Agency (0.5–1 kWh on eco), upper value pre-filled. The price per kWh is worked out as in the main calculator: your spot price, mark-up, Ei’s transfer fee for Sundsvall Elnät AB, energy tax and VAT. Method and sources
Loads per week and cost per year
| Loads per week | At 0.5 kWh | At 1 kWh |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | SEK 118 | SEK 236 |
| 5 | SEK 196 | SEK 393 |
| 7 | SEK 275 | SEK 550 |
| 10 | SEK 393 | SEK 786 |
For most households the dishwasher’s electricity is a small item, a few hundred kronor a year. The big difference lies between an older machine near the upper figure and a newer one near the lower, and between running it full or half empty. Two half loads cost twice the electricity of one full load.
Hot water and the dishwasher
The calculator counts the machine’s whole consumption as electricity, since a dishwasher on the cold supply heats its own water. If your machine is connected to the hot-water supply, the installation instructions say so, and part of the energy may then come from your water heater or the district heating instead.
The cheapest time for the dishes
The eco programme is long, and on a quarter-hour contract its start time matters. Paste today’s prices and enter the programme length; the calculator finds the cheapest continuous window. More in the cheapest time for electricity, and compare with the washing machine’s cost.