With four of us in the house, the dishwasher gets frequent use. Between juggling work and after school clubs, meal times can sometimes feel rushed, so we resort to using the dishwasher at least five times a week.
The good news is that Dishwashers are actually more eco-friendly than handwashing dishes. So I’m already part of it!
However, since energy bills have been high over the past few years, it has been my mission to find new ways. Save energy around the houseWhich will have a positive impact on our energy bills. And that means doing a little research around the settings on our dishwasher to see which are the most energy-efficient, and therefore cost-effective.
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Why I Switched from Standard to Eco Setting on My Dishwasher
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About a month ago, I started using the Eco setting on our dishwasher to save energy.
The Eco setting on my particular Hisense dishwasher took about 1 hour 10 minutes longer than the standard setting and a total of 3 hours 41 minutes. So it’s natural to assume that the Eco setting will use more energy than the standard.
However, after doing some research I realized that because the eco cycle washes dishes at a lower temperature – often around 45° to 55°C instead of 60° to 70°C – it actually uses less energy. And as a result, switching to Eco is an easy way to reduce energy bills.
‘Although the run time can be quite long, it is estimated that this setting can reduce your water consumption by 25% and electricity consumption by 33% (based on 260 cycles in a year) due to longer running times instead of pumps. heater,’ says Natasha Payne, hot laundry and dishwasher expert from.
‘The biggest bonus is that the total average savings for UK households could be anywhere between £20 – £50 per year if they use Eco Mode regularly.’
Do my dishes still come out clean?
At first I was worried that the lower temperature might mean the dishes weren’t as clean as before. But so far that has not happened.
When using the Eco Cycle, dishes are soaked and rinsed for longer, which means dried food softens and breaks down before being washed.
Modern dishwasher detergents are designed to work effectively even at low temperatures, using enzymes that target grease, starch and protein. These enzymes actually work best with longer contact times, which is why the Eco Cycle can still provide perfect cleanliness.
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Perfect for short and eco cycles, these dishwasher tablets will make easy work of cleaning your dishes while you try to keep your energy consumption under control and keep your bills as low as possible.
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Promising a squeaky clean, sparkle and shine even on eco mode, these Ecover dishwasher tablets also do away with any plastic packaging to further boost your eco credentials.
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These tablets come in an ultra soluble pouch that dissolves quickly, giving you plenty of time during the eco cycle to clean your dirty dishes.
Having said that, the eco cycle has its limitations, and in some situations a hotter wash is still recommended.
For instance, I still use the hotter cycle for items like roasting trays with heavy baked-on grease, because the hotter, more intensive cycle breaks down the fat completely. For health reasons, it is also safer to use a high temperature wash for items such as kitchen cutting boards or utensils that come into contact with raw meat.
But for normal, everyday cooking and generally dirty dishes, for me, the Eco setting works just fine.
What effect does it have on my energy bill?
So far, switching to the Eco Cycle hasn’t had a big impact on my energy bills, but that’s because the daily and weekly savings aren’t particularly noticeable. However, over time, the savings should add up.
The eco cycle on my dishwasher uses 0.87kWh of energy. At my current electricity rate of 25.40p per kWh, this works out to around 22p per cycle, or £1.11 a week if I run it five times.
The standard setting consumes up to 1.4kWh more energy per cycle depending on factors such as room temperature and load size. This works out to around 35.6pa cycles or £1.78 a week.
That’s a difference of around 67p a week, or Around £35 a year, Simply by switching between Eco and Standard settings. So overall, it’s a pretty decent savings for no extra work.
Another benefit of using an eco cycle is the water I save. The eco setting uses 11 liters of water per cycle, while the standard setting can use up to 20.5 liters per cycle. And with the fact that water bills just went up, that’s another savings I’d happily make.
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