Cost of running dishwasher

[Harry Bloomfield]

I've just done a test, and calculation, of what it cost us today, to run a single load in our dish-washer. It's a full sized under worktop unit, and monitored via our smart meter, and an app. We are on Octopus Tracker, so the price per unit varies from day to day. A normal maximum cost is around 23p, but today it was 13p, so I done a calculation based on both, but I've ignored the water cost. The water heating phase, ran for 5 minutes, at 2Kw, a second heating phase ran for 2minutes, also at 2Kw - so call it 7minutes. The pumping in between was negligible consumption, so I ignored it in the calculation...

7x2kw x 23p/60 = 5.4p
7x2Kw x 13p/60 = 3p

Much less than I suspected.

 

[aveatry]

I've just done a test, and calculation, of what it cost us today, to run a single load in our dish-washer. It's a full sized under worktop unit, and monitored via our smart meter, and an app. We are on Octopus Tracker, so the price per unit varies from day to day. A normal maximum cost is around 23p, but today it was 13p, so I done a calculation based on both, but I've ignored the water cost. The water heating phase, ran for 5 minutes, at 2Kw, a second heating phase ran for 2minutes, also at 2Kw - so call it 7minutes. The pumping in between was negligible consumption, so I ignored it in the calculation...

7x2kw x 23p/60 = 5.4p
7x2Kw x 13p/60 = 3p

Much less than I suspected.

Compared to a combi boiler ? Or hot water tank.
Don't get me wrong I would still be happy if it cost £5 per wash.
Also the temperature involved are more hygienic in a dish washer are they not.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Compared to a combi boiler ? Or hot water tank.

No idea, apart from gas being slightly more than 1/4 the cost, per Kwh, plus losses until the hot water arrived at the tap..

Also the temperature involved are more hygienic in a dish washer are they not.

Exactly, plus things are also cleaner, points I keep pushing here, but we only rarely use the dish washer.

Whilst I was at it, I ran a similar check on the clothes washer. That ran at 2.3Kw, for 12 minutes, in a single heating session. Rotation, and spin consumption, I didn't check.

 

[Munroast]

Compared to a combi boiler ? Or hot water tank.
Don't get me wrong I would still be happy if it cost £5 per wash.
Also the temperature involved are more hygienic in a dish washer are they not.

if our dish washer and tele both blew up on the same night - my first port of call the following day would be to the dishwasher machine shop

 

[ericmark]

I do have a plug in energy meter,

which I have moved around the house to see what things use, but the washing machine, tumble drier, and dishwasher have so many programs, I did start with the washing machine and tumble drier, but such varied results, they were of little use.

I have three tariffs to consider, 8.5p, 15p, and 30.17p or off-peak, loss of solar, or peak.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

if our dish washer and tele both blew up on the same night - my first port of call the following day would be to the dishwasher machine shop

Why? It takes a minimum amount of effort, to wash up in a bowl, in the kitchen sink. If our TV blew up, we would simply watch another, and sort the replacement out at our leisure.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

I do have a plug in energy meter,

Yes, one with a LCD display. I've logged my indoor line drying system (fan + dehumidifier) using it, but never the washers.

 

[JohnW2]

Compared to a combi boiler ? Or hot water tank.

... I'm not personally aware of any hot-fill or gas-powered dishwashers (if they exist, they must be extremely rare!), so I'm not sure that I understand what point you're trying to make?

 

[mattylad]

My wife once threatened to leave me unless I bought a dishwasher.

It has been proven by studies (no links available, do your own googling) that when washing more than 8 place settings of crockery/cutlery it is far more economic to use a dishwasher.
We fill and use ours at least once a day. I will sometimes put it on in the evening so I have clean things for the morning.
Although emptying it seems to happen magically in the mornings lol.

 

[Munroast]

Why? It takes a minimum amount of effort, to wash up in a bowl, in the kitchen sink. If our TV blew up, we would simply watch another, and sort the replacement out at our leisure.

you have a spare tv set ?

and if it takes a "minimum amount of effort, to wash up in a bowl" why have a dish washer, I will tell you why; washing dishes is a nightmare of a job, does my back in for starters - dishwashers are 7x more important than a TV set (I really should have a spare one just in case)

and why is it called a 'set' TV Set

 

[Mottie]

I thought this was going to be a thread with Harry moaning about Avril.

 

[Murdochcat]

Because we have PV our dish washer only runs during the day

It was sunny today so it was free.

 

[ericmark]

I wonder what it costs to run a bowl of hot water to wash up with? If I run a bowl full, that is really two bowls full, as need to run nearly a bowl of cold water before the hot water gets through. So would guess 0.4–0.5 kWh to fill the first bowl with water, the second bowl more like 0.2–0.3 kWh as the pipes now warm, so two bowls required as need to rinse the plates, and in my sink can wash around half the dishes which would fit in the dishwasher, so looking at 1.2–1.6 kWh to handwash the dishes.

Also, the handwashing will not be as good as using a dishwasher, as my hands could not stand the chemicals used in a dishwasher. I noted my parent's tea cups, and my wife's parent's tea cups, mine had a dishwasher hers did not, and her dads cups never seemed to be clean, to the point where she would bring her parent's cups to our house and run them through the dishwasher, and get rid of the brown coating, although not sure one should clean the cups, we say tea pots should not be cleaned.

... I'm not personally aware of any hot-fill or gas-powered dishwashers (if they exist, they must be extremely rare!), so I'm not sure that I understand what point you're trying to make?

I can't see people using a kettle, if they have the option of gas or oil heated domestic hot water. So with handwashing, it may well use gas or oil. Also, this guy from the USA did a video about dishwashers, and it seems in the USA they fill the dishwasher with hot water. I did have a dishwasher in the last house connected to hot water, I thought, now realise in error, that heating DHW with gas was cheaper.

 

[pete01]

My wife does it for free

 

[aveatry]

... I'm not personally aware of any hot-fill or gas-powered dishwashers (if they exist, they must be extremely rare!), so I'm not sure that I understand what point you're trying to make?

You don't understand because you are stupid, every one else realised I was comparing with a washing up bowl and hot water