How economical is a dishwasher?

[confusedandemployed]

We're getting a much-needed new kitchen next month. I have never felt the need for a DW, but I do do quite a lot of washing up: 5 or 6 bowls a day, water heated on a combi boiler each time. Would we be better off getting a DW? Water not currently metered but I'm thinking about getting one.

I was surprised to learn a couple of years ago that a (particularly economical) dishwasher only used 14 litres of water per cycle. The washing up bowl I use is 9 litres, and dh uses the (obviously bigger) sink. Also, our water takes a while to cone through hot. And we only wash up once a day. We would use less water, you definitely would!

They are much more economical than washing up in the sink.

they are very economical. esp newer models. great if you are on a water meter. also, because they use hot water (and hot air to dry) they are very hygienic too.

ours uses around 10 liters on the (long) economy setting according to the manual.
that's for all dishes/cuttlery/pans (except for the teflon ones) every couple of days.

5 or 6 bowls a day is more than 40 liters of water. looks written down.

You'd be much better off using a dw.

If you got a water saving model, some of the Bosch ones only use 6.5lts per cycle, that takes 14 place settings you could do it all on one cycle.

I had a lovely bosch one that I had to sell when we moved here and the integrated Electrolux one is rubbish by comparison because the cutlery basket is in the bottom not the top so I cant fit as much in. Top cutlery trays are much, much better.

If you filled it with Tesco/ aldi rinse aid, Tesco daisy dw powder and salt then its really economical. Plus none of them are tested on animals either.

If you have a combi boiler don't fit mixer taps anywhere in the house, every time you run cold with a combi the boiler fires briefly if its a mixer tap in case you want hot water. All those brieflys add up on your gas bill.

How much you value your mental health?

Get the dishwasher!

Interesting to see this - I've been wondering the same thing!
I've heard the stats about the water before but it's not just water is it? It's electricity too - that must surely add considerably to the cost?

It adds to the cost, but if that addition is a horror to your budget is a different question.

Like clothes washers, the better machines come with a delay timer, to take advantage of the cheaper night rates. And you can skip the heated dry cycle and just leave it open to air dry (depending on kitchen layout and family habits. And pets. My brother's dog comes aling sniffing the dishes as they dry, so heated drying for him.

It's cheaper on leccy too. Mine uses a kw.

So 12p.

It must cost more on a combi boiler to heat all that water.

Thanks. I am sold, just need to get DP onside now!

One tip is ensure you have enough plates n cutlery that you don't need it to go on til full, husband n I when just us used to have it on every 5-7 days now with a little person we prob have it on every 4 days n do a bowl washing up most days sometimes is half bowl water to wash odds n sods.

Have a look on an appliance calculator website. Mine is £20 odd quid a year to run and water bill was £1 a month cheaper when we first had one a few years ago now. Worth every penny.

When I wanted a dw I made dh do all the washing up.

He lasted two nights.

Hahaha! Sadly DP and I alternate cooking / washing up so he's well versed.

Although if you could get a machine that put clean stuff away I'd just go ahead and get one. He has a mental block about where the tupperware / mugs / DD's food pots live and just leaves them out

eastmids, does hat mean you leave dirty stuff in the dw for 3 days then?

My dw is on 2-3 times a day, and its full every time