Dishwasher Cost to Run: Per Load, Month and Year

A U.S. home that uses a dishwasher used an average of 112 kWh of electricity a year on it in 2020, according to the Energy Information Administration (EIA). At the U.S. average residential price of 18.16 cents per kWh for August 2026, that is about $20.34 a year, or $1.70 a month. Based on two full-size lab ratings, a single load costs roughly 20 to 27 cents at that price. Household size, heated drying and your water heater change the total.

EIA’s 112 kWh is well under its 839 kWh average for refrigerators (see our refrigerator cost guide), and an electric water heater may carry part of a dishwasher’s real cost. This guide shows the math per load, month and year, by household size and by state. To use your own price, look it up on our electricity rates by state page.

The Formula

Cost = kWh used × your price per kWh

Your price per kWh is on your bill. If your bill splits supply and delivery charges, add the per-kWh parts together and leave out the fixed monthly customer charge. Our kW vs kWh explainer covers the units.

How Much Does It Cost to Run a Dishwasher per Load?

At 18.16 cents per kWh, a load costs roughly 20 to 27 cents, based on two lab ratings:

ENERGY STAR’s limits are 240 kWh a year for standard-size models and 155 kWh for compact models, under criteria effective July 19, 2023. The Department of Energy’s (DOE) current test procedure figures yearly energy use “using 215 annual cycles.” The Whirlpool label bases its cost on “four wash loads a week and a national average electricity cost of 12 cents per kWh.” At 12 cents, 307 kWh works out to about $37 a year; the label also gives a cost for homes with a gas water heater, priced at $1.09 per therm.

These are ceilings and single-model ratings, not your dishwasher. Many certified models are rated below the 240 kWh limit, and settings such as heavy cycles and heated dry raise use.

How Much Does a Dishwasher Add to a Monthly Bill?

About $1.70 a month for an average home. EIA’s Residential Energy Consumption Survey (RECS) estimated an average of 112 kWh a year per household that uses a dishwasher in 2020. At 18.16 cents per kWh:

• Year: 112 kWh × $0.1816 = about $20.34
• Month: $20.34 ÷ 12 = about $1.70

EIA’s survey average is lower than the lab ratings above. One reason: homes run fewer loads than the test assumes. in its 2023 rule, DOE said its “analysis of 2015 RECS data indicates annual use of 185 cycles,” not 215. That alone does not explain the whole gap. The EIA tables we used also do not state whether the 112 kWh includes hot water from the home’s water heater. If you have an electric water heater, part of your dishwasher’s real cost may show up there. Treat $1.70 a month as a typical figure, and the per-load table as the cost of each extra load.

Dishwasher Cost by Household Size

Bigger households run more loads. EIA’s 2020 averages, priced at 18.16 cents per kWh:

By region, averages were close: 115 kWh in the Northeast, 117 in the Midwest, 109 in the South and 111 in the West.

Dishwasher Cost by State

Your state’s price matters more than your region’s usage. Here is EIA’s 112 kWh average at August 2026 state prices:

The per-load column uses the ENERGY STAR maximum of 1.12 kWh a load, not the EIA average. State prices are EIA averages for all residential customers and include fixed charges spread over kWh. Your utility’s rate may differ.

Dishwasher vs. Washing by Hand

ENERGY STAR says a certified dishwasher “uses less than half as much energy as washing dishes by hand and saves 8,400 gallons of water each year,” and that it “can cut your utility bills by about $220 per year.” ENERGY STAR does not publish the assumptions behind those figures, so treat them as its estimate. They depend heavily on how long the tap runs and whether you hand-wash with hot water.

ENERGY STAR also says a standard-size certified model “costs about $50 per year to run,” again without stating the price or water-heating assumptions. That is well above our EIA-based $20, and ENERGY STAR does not explain the difference.

How to Cut Your Dishwasher’s Cost

The Department of Energy’s Energy Saver tips:

1. Air dry. “Let your dishes air dry by turning on the air-dry setting.”
2. Run full loads. “Run the dishwasher on a full load.”
3. Skip the pre-rinse. DOE says “there is no need to pre-rinse dishes before loading them into your dishwasher.”
4. Check your water heater. If it is electric, its setting affects the cost of every load. Our electric water heater cost guide covers that math.
5. Use the delay timer on a time-of-use rate. If your utility charges less at night or midday, a delay start moves the load into cheaper hours. Our guide to time-of-use rates and solar explains how those plans work.

With rooftop solar, running the dishwasher during sunny hours uses your own power directly. At about 1 kWh a load, it is a small load that is easy to shift.

Sources and verification

Limitations

EIA’s dishwasher figures are from its 2020 survey; we found no newer EIA dishwasher consumption figures. Lab ratings assume a set number of loads and test settings, and your use will differ. We could not find a federal figure for the share of a dishwasher’s energy used by heated drying or water heating. State prices are averages, may not include sales taxes, and change monthly.