Energy Consumption of Dishwashers
Key facts
- In 1990, all shipped dishwashers consumed at least 600 kWh/yr. By 2015, 97% of them consumed fewer than 300 kWh/yr.
- From 1990 to 2015, water consumption in dishwashers decreased by 59%.
- To learn more about purchasing an energy-efficient dishwasher for your home, please visit our ENERGY STAR dishwashers page.
Average annual unit energy consumption
The annual unit energy consumption (UEC) of dishwashers decreased by 74% from 1990 to 2015.
However, the more recent improvement in energy consumption does not entirely reflect an actual improvement in energy efficiency. The 2004 amendment to the MEPS reduced the number of loads used to calculate average energy consumption from 264 to 215 per year. Therefore, the energy rating of any dishwasher would be lower according to the new standard, and data before and after 2004 is not directly comparable.
Check out our publication Choosing and Using Appliances With EnerGuide (PDF, 934 KB) for more information.
Average annual UEC of dishwashers, 1990–2015 (kWh/yr)
Text version
Average annual UEC of dishwashers, 1990–2015 (kWh/yr)
Model year | kWh/yr |
---|---|
1990 | 1025.7 |
1991 | 959.0 |
1992 | 908.0 |
1993 | 913.5 |
1994 | 776.7 |
1995 | 670.9 |
1996 | 668.2 |
1997 | 649.2 |
1998 | 646.7 |
1999 | 640.1 |
2000 | 637.4 |
2001 | 633.7 |
2002 | 592.0 |
2003 | 523.9 |
2004 | 456.8 |
2005 | 395.7 |
2006 | 372.6 |
2007 | 353.8 |
2008 | 342.9 |
2009 | 324.7 |
2010 | 309.6 |
2011 | 298.0 |
2012 | 278.4 |
2013 | 275.2 |
2014 | 270.7 |
2015 | 268.2 |
The new rating for dishwashers also takes into account standby power consumption (the energy used while the appliance is idle) and continues to include the energy required to heat water. Soil-sensing dishwashers are also subject to a new test procedure that reflects the average energy used when they are tested under light, medium and heavy soil loads.
Water consumption
The industry has improved the overall water consumption of dishwashers over the years. From 1990 to 2015, water consumption in dishwashers decreased by 59% (Natural Resources Canada, Office of Energy Efficiency, Equipment database).
1990 | 1995 | 2000 | 2005 | 2010 | 2015 | % Change 1990–2015 |
|
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Hot water used per cycle (litres) | 29.5 | 31.2 | 26.8 | 22.2 | 17.9 | 12.1 | -59.0 |
Distribution of shipments by unit energy consumption
In 1990, all shipped dishwashers consumed 600 kWh/yr or more.
By 2015, 97% of them consumed fewer than 300 kWh/yr.
Dishwashers consuming less than 250 kWh/yr appeared for the first time in 2011 and attained a share of 7% in 2015.
Distribution of dishwashers by average annual UEC, 1990–2015 (%)
Text version
Distribution of dishwashers by average annual UEC, 1990–2015 (%)
150–249.9 kWh/yr | 250–299.9 kWh/yr | 300–349.9 kWh/yr | 350–399.9 kWh/yr | 400–499.9 kWh/yr | 500–599.9 kWh/yr | >600 kWh/yr | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1990 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 100.0 |
1991 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 100.0 |
1992 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 100.0 |
1993 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.4 | 99.6 |
1994 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 99.0 |
1995 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.9 | 0.9 | 98.0 |
1996 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.9 | 3.9 | 95.0 |
1997 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.4 | 1.1 | 20.5 | 78.1 |
1998 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 1.2 | 23.4 | 75.3 |
1999 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 1.4 | 24.9 | 73.6 |
2000 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 3.9 | 19.3 | 76.7 |
2001 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 5.5 | 23.9 | 70.6 |
2002 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 3.2 | 13.6 | 37.8 | 45.5 |
2003 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 9.1 | 33.6 | 36.5 | 20.7 |
2004 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 4.0 | 24.3 | 46.4 | 16.5 | 8.8 |
2005 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 19.6 | 55.5 | 15.5 | 6.4 | 3.0 |
2006 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 28.2 | 61.8 | 5.7 | 2.7 | 1.3 |
2007 | 0.0 | 2.6 | 48.9 | 42.7 | 5.0 | 0.6 | 0.3 |
2008 | 0.0 | 0.6 | 69.7 | 26.9 | 2.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
2009 | 0.0 | 4.2 | 85.3 | 10.1 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
2010 | 0.0 | 13.6 | 79.6 | 6.6 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
2011 | 1.5 | 43.1 | 55.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
2012 | 9.5 | 76.7 | 13.8 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
2013 | 10.1 | 83.1 | 6.8 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
2014 | 13.0 | 83.0 | 4.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
2015 | 6.5 | 90.8 | 2.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |