It’s time to take a critical look at your current dishwasher. Is the beast still climate- and eco-friendly enough? And isn’t it costing you a lot of money? In this blog, I will tell you all about what to look out for when buying an energy-efficient dishwasher.
Dishwashers are getting greener
Many households still have a dishwasher installed in their kitchen from the 1990s or the 1990s. These solid appliances can certainly still handle dirty dishes, but you will probably notice that these appliances consume a lot of energy and use a lot of water. At a time when inflation is very high and bills are hard to pay, it’s good to take a look at your electrical appliances and see if you couldn’t happen to cut back.
Switch to energy efficient
Actually, almost every new device that has appeared on the market in recent years is a better option than the old ones. Still, because of the high purchase price, it is not always lucrative to make the switch. However, experts have calculated that by trading in your old dishwasher for a new one, you can save as much as five tens (€50) a month.
How to choose an economical dishwasher
You have to remember that a lot of gains have been made in recent years on reducing the energy consumption of a dishwasher. If you buy a new appliance, it will use about 80 per cent less water than dishwashers from 40 years ago. The same goes for energy – instead of the three-hour programme to get dishes clean, it now often does it in less than half an hour. That while still getting dishes clean.
Look at the energy label
I recommend that you always look at the energy label which should be included both in the description of a dishwasher and on a sticker on the appliance. This is a scale from A to G with A being the most economical. It is of course best to buy an appliance that does not go lower than the B or C.
By the way, on the energy label you can also read how many kWh your dishwasher uses per 100 washes, its water consumption and how long a programme takes. Of course, it is not unimportant to know how much noise such an appliance makes. It often also has an eco programme.
Please note – there are changes
It is very crucial at this point to mention that the way the different energy classes are calculated has changed. Whereas previously, kWh was calculated per 280 washes, it is now per 100 washes. So don’t compare apples to oranges when comparing an old dishwasher with a newer one. An appliance that might have been in class A before may now fall into class D or even E.
Or else buy a second-hand one
If you don’t have the money for a brand new model, it is also fine to buy a second-hand dishwasher. In that case, I would at least recommend buying an A+++ and not a B, C, A+ or A++, according to the old energy label. However, it is not always cost-effective to buy an old dishwasher, simply because it remains to be seen how long the beast will last.
Choosing ‘Hotfill’ or not?
It is not uncommon for dishwashers to be offered with the ‘Hotfill’ option. This means that the appliance can be connected to both hot and cold water pipes. It does save just a little more on the gas, water and light bills in that respect but as you will spend a little more money in laying these pipes, it will make little difference to your wallet at the bottom line.
Together towards a sustainable world
Even if a new dishwasher will not be entirely cheaper than keeping the old one, it is still the best choice. After all, we will all have to do our bit to create a better world. Still, if you grab the calculator, you will see that there is still a good chunk of profit to be made.