Utilita Energy’s latest energy efficiency series has revealed two bad habits that are costing dishwasher owners £171m a year and generating carbon emissions that can be easily avoided.
As part of Utilita Energy’s Power Price List series revealing the average running costs of 68 commonly used home appliances, Utilita has revealed two simple tweaks that can save the pocket and the planet, starting today.
The costliest of the two bad habits is turning the dishwasher on when it’s only half full, which 21 percent of dishwasher owners are guilty of. This habit costs 75p a week, or £38.84 a year – £116m across all households.
Second up are the settings households use when turning on their dishwasher. 73 percent of households admit to not using ‘eco mode’. By not using economy mode, households are missing out on 47p a week or £24.30 a year – £55m across all households.
Households that do both – half fill and choose power-intensive settings – are throwing away £63.14 a year.
Ella Jones, sustainability manager at Utilita Energy said: “We are all creatures of habit when it comes to our home behaviours, but by revealing the cost and environmental savings, we hope to help people make better informed decisions.
“Our latest dishwasher study has revealed that 75% of people who use a dishwasher haven’t read the manufacturer instructions, which explain the energy and water savings associated with eco mode. Watching a video on how best to stack the dishwasher you own can also be eye-opening, enabling you to get more in, or better results, each time.”
The environmental impact of the carbon emissions generated by the electricity and water wasted by these two habits is devastating. Combined, the carbon emissions are equivalent to a diesel car travelling around Earth’s equator 20,000 times.
The water wasted by households guilty of each habit is equivalent to 34 full baths a year per household, or 94m baths across all households annually.
Ella said: “Around half of the electricity we all use at home – which comes from the National Grid – is still being generated by dirty, polluting fossil fuels today. By reducing energy waste at home, we put less pressure on the National Grid and with that we can avoid fossil fuels and consume cleaner energy generated by low carbon technologies such as wind, solar and hydro.”
Tips on how to cut dishwasher costs
- Read the instructions – every dishwasher’s stacking system is specially designed to wash as many items effectively on every wash. If you, or those who stack the dishwasher, don’t know how to load it properly, you’ll never get 100% efficiency on every wash. Most manufacturers have videos online.
- Use ECO mode. This mode is specifically designed to deliver the best results but uses less hot water. Although it may take longer, it will always be the cheapest option.
- Always wait until it’s full. If you find yourself putting a half-full dishwasher on to get rid of the smell, get a freshener which will mask any food smells until it’s ready. If it’s going to be more than a day, rinse of any food residue, which will help.
- Consider what time you put it on. If you are on a higher day rate and a lower night rate for your electricity, put it on a timer or use the dishwasher’s ‘delay’ option to come on at night to save money.
- Avoid buying or using kitchenware and crockery that is incompatible with your dishwasher. For example, a dinner plate that is too large will stop the spray arm from spinning, so you’ll be forever rewashing items.
