It makes sense to use an ENERGY STAR qualified dishwasher, as they use almost one-third less water than the conventional non-qualified models. That is a lot of water to save everyday isn’t it?
A product can earn the ENERGY STAR qualification only if it meets strict energy efficiency guidelines set by the US Environmental Protection Agency and the US Department of Energy.
Do you know that ENERGY STAR dishwashers use close to 41 percent less energy than the federal minimum standard for energy consumption?
An average dishwasher uses six gallons of water per cycle, but, an ENERGY STAR qualified one will only use four gallons per cycle. If you are seriously interested in saving even more water, do try to scrape the food off the dishes and load it (don’t use the rinse cycle). 20 gallons of water are used when the dishes are pre-rinsed! Do try it at least once; you will see that your dishes will come out sparkling clean (after the first positive result, I am sure that you would like to make this a habit!)
In case you don’t need to switch on the dishwasher at night then you can use your dishwasher’s rinse feature. Compared to hand rinse it uses a fraction of the water (you can save annually approximately 5,000 gallons of water, but not using your hands to wash the dishes!) The good part is you don’t spoil your hands too!
So, if you are keen to save almost $40 a year in utility costs, try to replace your conventional dishwasher with an ENERGY STAR dishwasher. By doing so, not only will you end up saving money and time (230 hours), you will also help to conserve your nation’s water supplies.
