Save money washing up

This advice applies to England. See advice for See advice for Northern Ireland, See advice for Scotland, See advice for Wales

If you have a dishwasher

If you have a dishwasher, there are several ways to save money when you run it.

Only run your dishwasher when it’s full

You can save money and energy by only running your dishwasher when it’s full. This might mean you need to run it every few days, rather than every day.

If you need clean dishes sooner, you could wash them up by hand.

Use the eco mode on your dishwasher

You should use the ‘eco’ or energy-saving setting when you run your dishwasher. This setting uses less heat so the water temperature is lower. This uses less electricity than the normal settings. However it might take longer to run.

Dishwasher mode Average price per cycle
Dishwasher mode

Normal
Average price per cycle

£0.29
Dishwasher mode

Eco
Average price per cycle

£0.17
Dishwasher mode

Fast
Average price per cycle

£0.25

How we’ve estimated the cost of using appliances

We've based the cost of using appliances on a ‘unit rate’ of 25p. The unit rate is the price you pay per kilowatt-hour (kWh) of electricity you use. The unit rate for your household might be higher or lower. Check your energy bill if you’re not sure.

We've based the energy usage for most appliances on:

  • how fast the appliance uses electricity - known as the 'power rating'

  • the typical amount of time people use the appliance

It’s harder to work out exact costs for some appliances. For example, fridges, freezers, ovens, washing machines and tumble dryers use electricity at different rates during their cycle. The estimated costs take this into account.

You can use our appliances tool to compare the average cost of using different electrical appliances.

Use the air dry setting on your dishwasher

The air dry setting makes your dishwasher door open automatically after a cycle. This lets the steam escape. This uses less energy than running a heat dry or fan dry.

Open the door of your dishwasher after the cycle ends

Open the dishwasher as soon as the cycle ends, and allow the dishes to air dry for a few minutes before removing them. This lets the steam escape.

Check if it’s cheaper to use your dishwasher at different times

Your dishwasher will only be cheaper to use at different times if you’re on a ‘time-of-use’ tariff like Economy 7.

Time-of-use tariffs charge you different prices for electricity at different times - with cheaper electricity during ‘off peak’ hours. 

For example, Economy 7 charges you: 

  • a cheaper price for electricity 7 hours a day - usually from midnight to 7am

  • an above average price for the rest of the day

You can find out if you’re on a time-of-use tariff by checking your bill. If you’re on a time-of-use tariff, you’ll see total charges for more than one electricity price.

Running your dishwasher at night

Don’t run your dishwasher while you’re asleep - this is a fire risk. You can use a timer to set it to come on in the morning when you’re getting up, before the off-peak price of electricity ends.

Buy a more energy efficient dishwasher

If you're thinking about buying a new dishwasher, you might want to choose a more energy efficient one. This means they use less energy and cost less to run.

You can check if you can save money by buying a more energy efficient appliance.

If you wash up by hand

If you wash your dishes by hand, you might be able to save money.

Use a washing up bowl

If your dishes are heavily soiled, you should pre-soak them in your washing up bowl.

Instead of running the tap to rinse your dishes, you could use a second bowl with clean water in it.

If you don't have a washing up bowl

Washing up bowls save money because you use less water. You’ll also use less energy to heat the water.

  1. Fill your bowl halfway with hot water and add 1 teaspoon of dish soap

  2. Scrape any leftover food into the bin

  3. Start by cleaning lightly soiled dishes such as cutlery and drinking glasses

  4. Pre-soak heavily soiled dishes, pots, pans, or other cookware⁠⁠—leaving these for last is more effective since soaking loosens any stuck-on bits of food

  5. Scrub your dishes underwater with a sponge or dishcloth

  6. If the water gets too dirty to see through, drain your bowl and refill it with hot water and more dish soap

  7. Rinse off the soap with hot water - instead of running the tap to rinse your dishes, you could use a second bowl with clean hot water in it

  8. Let the dishes air dry on a rack or a clean towel

  9. Rinse off your sink and washing up bowl

Use a tap aerator

A tap aerator reduces the amount of water coming out by mixing it with air. This means you use less water but still get good water pressure. You’ll save money on water and also on heating the water.

Tap aerators are easy to install on your kitchen tap.

Keep your kitchen warm and dry

You should keep your home warm enough so your dishes can air dry.

You should also use extractor fans in the kitchen to prevent condensation and mould.

It’s also important to keep your home warm so there’s less risk of your home becoming damp and you getting ill.

If you need help with bills or the cost of living

If you can’t afford your energy bills, you can check our advice on what to do if you’re struggling to pay.

If you don’t have enough money to live on, you can also get help with the cost of living.

If you’re finding things difficult

Your mental health is as important as your physical health. You should talk to your GP if your money problems are affecting your mental health.

You can find other ways to get help with your mental health on the Mind website.

If you need to speak to someone

You can speak to a trained volunteer at organisations like Samaritans or Shout.

Samaritans

Helpline: 116 123 (Monday to Sunday at any time)

Welsh Language Line: 0808 164 0123 (Monday to Sunday 7pm to 11pm)

Calls to Samaritans are free.

You can find other ways to get in touch with Samaritans on their website.

Shout

Text 'SHOUT' to 85258 to start a conversation with a trained Shout 85258 volunteer. Texts are free, anonymous and confidential from anywhere in the UK.

If you think it's an emergency

If you think your life or someone else’s is at risk, you should call 999 or go to A&E if you can.

You can also find a list of urgent mental health services on the Mind website.

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