How much does it cost to run a dishwasher?
Work out what any appliance costs to run per use, per month and per year on your own electricity rate — including what it draws on standby.
Using the Canadian average of 15.57¢/kWh — Hydro-Québec's annual utility price survey, rates in effect 1 April 2025.
Common cases
What drives the cost
Two things dominate a dishwasher cycle: heating the water and, on many machines, heating the air to dry at the end. Both are worth attacking. Eco programmes run cooler and longer for the same reason washing machine eco cycles do, and opening the door at the end to air dry removes the drying phase entirely.
The comparison people usually want is against washing up by hand, and a full dishwasher generally wins — it uses less hot water than a running tap, and hot water is the cost in both cases. A half-empty dishwasher run daily is the case where hand washing comes out ahead.
How this is worked out
Electricity is billed per kilowatt hour. An appliance's kilowatt hours are its power in kilowatts multiplied by the hours it runs — so a 2,000 W appliance running for 30 minutes uses 1 kWh. Multiply that by your unit rate and you have the cost. The standing charge is not included here because you pay it whether or not you switch anything on.
What this assumes
- The appliance draws its rated power for the whole time it is on. Anything thermostatically controlled — ovens, heaters, fridges — cycles on and off, so the real figure is lower.
- Your unit rate stays flat all day. On a time-of-use tariff the same appliance costs materially different amounts depending on when you run it.
- A year is 52 weeks of identical use, which overstates seasonal appliances and understates ones you use in bursts.
- The rate filled in for you is an average that spreads fixed charges across a year's usage, so it sits above what one extra unit really costs. Entering the unit rate from your own bill gives a closer answer.
Questions
Is a dishwasher cheaper than washing up by hand?
A full one usually is, because it uses less hot water than most people use at the sink, and heating water is the cost either way. Running it half full every day rather than full every other day is where that advantage disappears.
Does skipping the drying cycle save much?
On machines with a heated dry, yes — it can be a noticeable share of the cycle. Opening the door at the end and letting the residual heat do the work costs nothing and takes about twenty minutes longer.
Does this include the standing charge?
No, and deliberately. The standing charge is a fixed daily fee for being connected at all, so it does not change when you run an appliance more or less. Including it would make every appliance look more expensive than it is.
Where do I find the wattage?
On the rating plate — usually a sticker on the back, base or inside the door — or in the manual. It is written as W or kW. If it only quotes amps, multiply amps by 230 to get watts.
Why is my bill higher than the total this gives?
Because this prices one appliance. Heating, hot water and the constant background draw of everything left plugged in usually make up more of a bill than the appliances people think to check.
Sources
- Ofgem — price cap unit rates — checked 2026-08-21
- Energy Saving Trust — quick tips to save energy — checked 2026-08-21
Rates from Hydro-Québec for rates in effect 1 April 2025. Last reviewed September 3, 2026.