Dishwasher electricity use: per year and per cycle
The median certified dishwasher uses 239 kWh a year. Enter your cabinet and state: the tool shows the models that fit and what they cost to run.
Example for an opening 24 in wide and 24 in deep — change any figure to see your own result
Certified dishwashers that fit
419
of 595 certified dishwashers, every width up to yours
| Typical place settings (sets of dishes) | 15 |
| Typical energy use | 235 kWh a year |
| Typical running cost at the U.S. average price | $43 a year |
| Typical water per cycle | 3.2 gallons |
| Left out: deeper or wider than your space | 176 |
kWh (kilowatt-hour) is the unit on your power bill. The list gives no height: standard built-in units are made for the opening under a 36 inch counter. Check the model’s sheet.
| Model | Width × depth | Settings | kWh a year | Cost a year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asko DBI786* | 24.00 × 21.80 in | 18 | 230 | $42 |
| Asko DFI786* | 24.00 × 21.80 in | 18 | 230 | $42 |
| Asko DBI776* | 24.00 × 21.80 in | 17 | 220 | $40 |
| Asko DFI776* | 24.00 × 21.80 in | 17 | 220 | $40 |
| Beko BDDDT48340**** | 23.50 × 22.40 in | 17 | 225 | $41 |
Compiled by Radif Partners · How the figures are built
Dishwasher electricity use is modest and very even across certified models. On the ENERGY STAR list of November 12, 2026, the 595 certified dishwashers with plausible sizes use a median 239 kWh a year, from 114 to 240; 283 of them share the top figure. The yearly figure comes from the federal test, which counts a fixed number of cycles a year: 215 in one version of the test and 184 in the newer one. Per cycle, the median model therefore uses roughly 1.11 to 1.3 kWh, including the energy to heat the water inside the machine. Water use is a median 3.2 gallons a cycle. At the U.S. average home price of August 2026, the median dishwasher costs $43 a year to run, or about $0.24 a cycle under the newer test count. That is less than a quarter of a median refrigerator, which uses 465 kWh a year. The most frugal certified model, the Fisher & Paykel DD24STX6I1, uses 114 kWh.
Dishwasher electricity use on the certified list
The table sets the yearly kWh, the cost a year and the approximate cost per cycle for the median model and for the extremes of the list.
| Model | kWh a year | Cost a year, U.S. average | Cost a year, Hawaii | About per cycle |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Most frugal certified | 114 | $21 | $54 | $0.11 |
| Typical certified | 239 | $43 | $113 | $0.24 |
| Highest certified | 240 | $44 | $113 | $0.24 |
What the yearly figure counts
The federal test procedure (10 CFR 430, subpart B) measures the electricity of a test cycle, including heating the water inside the machine, and the power drawn while it waits, then multiplies by a fixed number of cycles. The list does not say which version each model was tested under, so small gaps between two models are not a reliable ranking.
Running cost of the dishwashers that fit your cabinet
Example for an opening 24 in wide and 24 in deep — change any figure to see your own result
Certified dishwashers that fit
419
of 595 certified dishwashers, every width up to yours
| Typical place settings (sets of dishes) | 15 |
| Typical energy use | 235 kWh a year |
| Typical running cost at the U.S. average price | $43 a year |
| Typical water per cycle | 3.2 gallons |
Using less at home
The yearly figure counts cycles, not dishes, so running full loads gets the most out of each cycle. Air drying, where the model offers it, skips the heated dry. Scraping plates instead of rinsing them under a running tap saves the water of the rinse.
Sizes
Energy differs little between widths, but capacity does. The 24 inch page lists the standard models by depth, the 18 inch page the narrow ones, and the state comparison puts the dishwasher next to the other appliances of a home.
Reading the label
The yellow EnergyGuide label on a new dishwasher shows an estimated yearly cost and the yearly kWh, set by the Federal Trade Commission rules for a fixed electricity price. That printed cost uses a national price, not yours, so it can be far from your bill. The kWh figure on the label is the one to keep: multiply it by the price per kWh in your state, which is what the tool does with the prices homes paid in August 2026.