Home: Water Consumption of Dishwashers

Water consumption is especially important if you're on a water meter. The first modern day dishwashers consumed around fifty to seventy litres of water per wash programme. This was similar to hand washing. However, a modern day dishwasher should now use less water than washing in the sink. Below, a current water consumption level by graded dishwashers.

Grade A - 15 litres
Hand wash - between 40 and 150 litres

Comparing an average dishwasher from five years ago, to one in 2009, an annual saving of 1500 litres is possible. This could be even higher against hand washing. Whilst hand washing can be very efficient if your careful, reports tend to suggest, on average, around fifty litres will be used per wash.

Choosing the correct wash programme is important for saving water. For plates which are only slightly dirty, a low temperature setting is required. Wiping off any excess residue (from plates, pans etc.) can also help. But most modern dishwashers can handle scraps of food. Only using your dishwasher when it is full is another way of helping to save water.