How can a dishwasher be economical?

Glastoun

I've read on a few occasions that dishwashers are more economical than washing up by hand, but I just can't work out how this can be so.

Our new dishwasher has an 'eco' setting, which takes 3 1/4 hours. So that's electricity running at some level for over three hours, presumably keeping the water very hot for a lot of this time as it's still very hot opening the door after the cycle has finished.

Contrast this to two loads of washing up by hand, which would probably end up running the gas boiler for 1-2 minutes max, and that's it. How could that be more expensive than the dishwasher?

GwylimT

How do you only run your boiler for two minutes to fill up a bowl and to rinse all of your pots clean?

We use a dish washer, generally we only have to turn it on every forth day, where as if we washed by hands we would be washing up three times a day as we aren't willing to have dirty pots on our counters.

Cyberman60

Well, I soak my dishes until I build up enough to wash up, and then heat two electric kettle-loads of water to bearable temperature. That's two or three times a week. A dishwasher certainly would not save me much time or money.

Maybe for a family it would though.

PasturesNew

Some views and costings on a previous thread: https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/3711977

Doesn't look cheaper. And you've the cost of buying/maintaining it.

Also, for some of us, it would require further investment in dishes as anything that's waiting to be washed isn't available to you until the next cycle.... so more plates, bowls, cups, etc to be bought. Then, probably, another cupboard to keep them in, which might mean a bigger kitchen - ultimately a bigger house

Jonesya

You can't just look at the time its running, you also need to look at the power its using as it runs.

Most of the electricity is used heating up water for washing and drying, the little circulating water pumps use very little electricity so most of the eco modes have long wash cycles (pumping the water round) but at low temperatures so saving energy overall.

The reason your dishwasher is hot at the end is because that's the final drying cycle, they all have that, you need to be looking at the the rinse and washing cycles at the start and middle.

SailorSam

I usually pile the dishes into the big sink where i'll rinse things in cold water. I've got a big old pan which i find better to boil water on the gas hob rather than the electric ketter. So the hot water goes into the little sink with a bit of washing liquid, and one by one i'll get the dishes out of big sink into the little one to wash. Before leaving anything to dry in the rack i'll rince things with cold water one-by-one to get bubbles off. Then leave until their dry.
The dishwasher is there but it's never been used.

trailingspouse

My dishwasher has a 27 minute wash - in over a year I've never felt the need to put it on any other wash cycle apart from every 6 weeks or so when I put it on the longest and hottest cycle with dishwasher cleaner.

I really couldn't be ar*ed with a 3 hour wash no matter how eco-friendly it was.

peachyprice

trailingspouse wrote: »

My dishwasher has a 27 minute wash - in over a year I've never felt the need to put it on any other wash cycle apart from every 6 weeks or so when I put it on the longest and hottest cycle with dishwasher cleaner.

I really couldn't be ar*ed with a 3 hour wash no matter how eco-friendly it was.

I have to agree with this. Our most used program is 1hr28 our Sunday roast program is 2hr10.

I don't think a dishwasher is particularly more economical for 1-2 people, but for a family that can run it once a day to get all the washing up done in one go it certainly is.

adandem

I hated having cups etc. cluttering the kitchen so I was filling my bowl several times a day so as I'm on a water meter I find using a dishwasher far better.

passion_flower

There is only 2 in our household and if my dishwasher broke I would rush out and get another one the same day. We put ours on maybe every other day or every 3rd day, depending. For me however the main benefit is NEVER having dirty pots and pans waiting around in my sink. Collecting them through the day wouldn't be an option as I would have to wash every single thing and put it away.
Three hours sounds an awful lot though,we have our quickest wash that takes 40 min and our longest 2.30 hours, and then a few other in between

moohound

It is cheaper than a divorce

I would not be without mine, I run it on the quick cycle mostly and buy Tabs and salt in bulk from Makro.

Without it I would be put off baking, making soup, bread or pastry because of the chore of washing up afterwards. The food processor parts are really sharp and I would probably injure myself.