Cost to run a compact dishwasher
A typical cycle uses 0.72 kWh, which costs 19p at 26.32p/kWh. At 4 cycles a week, that comes to £39.57 a year.
Each cycle costs
19p a cycle
That is 0.72 kWh. Used as set, it comes to £3.30 a month and £39.57 a year.
On the energy label, or in the manual for the programme you use.
| Period | Cost | Energy | CO2e |
|---|---|---|---|
| A cycle | 19p | 0.72 kWh | 157 g |
| A week | 75.9p | 2.88 kWh | 627 g |
| A month | £3.30 | 12.5 kWh | 2.7 kg |
| A year | £39.57 | 150 kWh | 32.7 kg |
How we calculated this
Each cycle uses 0.72 kWh, the kind of figure an energy label or test gives for a whole cycle, heating and all. A hotter or longer programme uses more.
The figures are for ENERGY STAR certified models sold in the US and Canada. Certified models are more efficient than the average model on sale, and many are larger than the ones sold in Europe, so an older or less efficient one will use more. The energy for a wash is ENERGY STAR’s annual figure divided by the 215 washes it is based on, and it includes heating the water and standby. The power is Virginia Tech’s nameplate range for a dishwasher, which is not specific to compact ones.
The starting use for a compact dishwasher, 4 cycles a week, is where the calculator starts, not a measurement of your home: change it to how you use yours. A day is the average across the week, and a month is a twelfth of a 365-day year.
Electricity costs 26.32p/kWh. That is the published figure for the United Kingdom, 1 Oct – 31 Dec 2026, from Ofgem. Average for England, Scotland and Wales, paying by Direct Debit. No VAT on electricity from 1 October 2026 to 31 March 2027.
Standing charges are left out: you pay them whether or not the appliance runs.
Emissions use 0.217 kg CO2e per kWh, the lifecycle intensity of electricity generated in the United Kingdom in 2025, from Ember, via Our World in Data. Lifecycle means building the power stations and supplying their fuel are counted too. It is the grid’s average, not the particular power station an extra appliance brings on.
What drives the cost
A compact dishwasher washes fewer place settings than a standard one, and uses less energy for each wash: across 30 certified models the median uses 0.72 kWh, which costs 19p at 26.32p/kWh. That suits a small household, though it washes more often to clear the same dishes.
Also called: countertop dishwasher, table-top dishwasher, small dishwasher.
What it costs in the UK, Europe and the US
For a compact dishwasher used as typical (4 cycles a week), at each country’s published average electricity price.
| Country | Electricity price | A cycle |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 26.32p/kWh | 19p |
| United States (average) | 18.19¢/kWh | 13.1¢ |
| Ireland | €0.4042/kWh | €0.29 |
| Germany | 0,3869 €/kWh | 0,28 € |
| France | 0,2561 €/kWh | 0,18 € |
| Spain | 0,2669 €/kWh | 0,19 € |
| Italy | 0,2966 €/kWh | 0,21 € |
| Netherlands | € 0,2558/kWh | € 0,18 |
Compared with similar appliances
| Appliance | Typical power | An hour | A year, typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Compact dishwasher | 1,800 W | — | £39.57 |
| Dishwasher | 1,800 W | — | £61.26 |
| Washing machine | 2,100 W | — | £20.84 |
How to spend less on it
- Run it full, as you would a standard one: the energy for a wash barely changes with how many plates are in it.
- Use the eco programme, and let the dishes air dry.
Questions
How much does a compact dishwasher cost per cycle?
A typical cycle uses 0.72 kWh, which costs 19p at 26.32p/kWh.
How much does a compact dishwasher cost to run a year?
Used 4 cycles a week, it costs about £39.57 a year at 26.32p/kWh, or £3.30 a month.
How many watts does a compact dishwasher use?
Most draw between 1,200 W and 2,400 W while running, and 1,800 W is typical. The rating is on the label or in the manual.
Is a compact dishwasher cheaper to run than a standard one?
Per wash, yes: the median certified compact uses 0.72 kWh a wash. But it holds fewer plates, so a household that fills it as often as it would a standard one washes more often, and the cost per plate is closer than the cost per wash suggests.
Sources
- ENERGY STAR Certified Residential Dishwashers (open data), ENERGY STAR, US Environmental Protection Agency, 26 September 2026. “ENERGY STAR certified compact dishwashers, energy per wash: median 0.721 kWh a wash across 30 certified models, 10th to 90th percentile 0.614 kWh a wash to 0.721 kWh a wash (models where type='Compact').”
- ENERGY SERIES: Estimating Appliance and Home Electronic Energy Use, Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia Tech, 26 February 2020. “Dishwasher = 1200–2400 (using the drying feature greatly increases energy consumption)”
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