Best energy-efficient dishwashers from Bosch, Beko, Miele and more

With less time spent at the kitchen sink, investing in a dishwasher for your home certainly uses less personal energy, but the cost of their electricity and water usage may have been enough to put you off. 

The good news is that the best dishwashers are far more energy efficient than they used to be, securing impressive A to C energy ratings without sacrificing on performance. With eco programmes and automatic cycles that tailor the wash to how dirty the contents are, many dishwashers have time and energy-saving programmes that use low levels of water and energy.

To help find the best energy-efficient dishwasher for your home, we’ve sought out tried-and-tested reviews from Mumsnet users, gathering their feedback on the best freestanding and integrated dishwasher brands for efficiency that they’ve used in their own homes and would happily recommend to others. 

By combining this research with wider consumer feedback on retailer sites and the views of consumer champions, we’ve rounded up the most energy-efficient dishwashers you can buy today, all of which include several features to reduce their overall water and energy consumption. 

Related: The best kettles and toasters, tried and tested

Related: The best fridge freezers for family homes

Are dishwashers efficient?

Dishwashers can vary quite considerably in terms of their energy rating (with appliances rated from A to G on the universal energy efficient scale). While traditionally dishwashers' high water and energy consumption meant they haven’t been very energy efficient, in recent years brands have worked hard to add new features and reduce the amount of electricity and water they consume. 

What’s the best energy rating for a dishwasher?

It’s not uncommon to see dishwashers with a C, D or even E rating on the universal energy scale. However, if you’re prepared to spend more, you can pick up some really energy-efficient dishwashers that have low water and energy use. The best energy-efficient dishwashers have an energy rating of A to C. 

Related: The best oven cleaners according to Mumsnetters

How much does a dishwasher cost to run?

How much a dishwasher costs to run will depend on a number of factors including energy usage (measured in kWh) and their water use (in litres). You also may want to factor in the cost of dishwasher tablets and regular dishwasher maintenance such as rinse aid or dishwasher salt, especially if you live in a hard water area. 

According to consumer champion Which?, the average cost of running your dishwasher is around £69 a year.

How to run a dishwasher more efficiently

Regardless of your dishwasher’s energy rating, there are a number of ways you can use your dishwasher more efficiently:

• Use the eco cycle where possible - It may take longer, but the eco cycle is the most energy efficient, consuming less energy and water than quick wash and intense cycles. 

• Run full loads  - Wherever possible you should only run the dishwasher when it's full. However, some dishwashers have a convenient half-load function, running a shorter cycle with less water to avoid wasting energy. 

• Don't overfill -  Be careful not to overfill your dishwasher or stack it poorly, as this can prevent the spray heads from spinning effectively. 

• Don’t pre-rinse - Most modern dishwashers don’t require you to pre-rinse the dishes, no matter how tempting it may be. Except for significantly soiled pots and pans, you should be able to simply scrape leftover residue into your kitchen bin before adding them straight to a standard wash cycle.  

• Maintain your dishwasher effectively - Using a dishwasher cleaner, rinse aid and salt helps to keep your dishwasher running at its best. 

• Avoid using the dry cycle - Allowing the contents to air dry or drying plates with tea towels prevents the need to run a separate drying cycle at the end of each wash. 

How we chose the best energy-efficient dishwasher

Recommendations from real people

To bring you our definitive list of the most efficient dishwashers, we first sought the trusted opinions of Mumsnet users, getting their feedback on the dishwasher brands with great energy ratings that they recommend and happily use in their own kitchens.

We also looked out for any negative reviews, where Mumsnet users highlighted appliances that they felt were poor quality, overpriced or performed badly when returning dishes to their former glory.

Expert opinions

Next up, we considered reviews and feedback from trusted industry experts. We want to be confident that the dishwashers we recommend are fit for purpose, so we looked out for award-winning energy-efficient dishwashers or those that were well regarded in the marketplace, including those recommended by consumer champions and domestic technology experts.

Authentic consumer reviews

Finally, to bring you our comprehensive list of the best energy efficient dishwashers on the market, we thoroughly investigated authentic, verified customer reviews on retailer sites such as Amazon, Currys, AO and John Lewis to get wider consumer experiences regarding the products on our shortlist.

About the author

Lucy Cotterill is a mum of two and a Content Writer at Mumsnet, specialising in family and lifestyle product round-ups. Having written product reviews on her own blog Real Mum Reviews since 2012, Lucy loves to research and explore the pros and cons of products, scrutinising reviews and consumer feedback to help people make confident purchases.  

A regular user of her own dishwasher, Lucy knows only too well the benefits that a clean and high-performing appliance can bring when juggling family life. Always keen to sniff out a bargain, Lucy loves looking for budget-friendly, efficient appliances and has also written several Mumsnet dishwasher round-ups including the best slimline dishwashers, integrated dishwashers and budget dishwashers. 

Why you should trust us

We work hard to provide honest and independent advice you can trust and we spend hours scouring the Mumsnet forums and online bestseller lists to find products that real parents rate.

Transparency is really important to us and that's why we're always upfront about where we find our recommendations. We write about products that we feel offer the best value to most parents – the ones that our users would recommend to their own friends and family.

Read next: The best glass cleaner for a spring clean