In a bid to keep costs down, households may have had to reign back on common habits to reduce the costs of ever-increasing energy bills. Amid the cost of living crisis, people have seen bills skyrocket and are having to implement new habits into their everyday lives.
While people have embedded new cost-effective strategies into their daily routines, experts have revealed that a series of habits - especially with their dishwasher - could be costing them without them knowing.
A staple in many homes, the handy device not only saves time but also effort and arguments among families. While it's incredibly convenient, it could be sneaking extra funds onto your already increasing bills.
Home Water Treatment Expert Gene Fitzgerald of BOS detailed the seven ways to cut the costs of running your dishwasher.
To start, he explained that you could be making a cost-effective call even before you've started the dishwasher. The expert advised that you shouldn't run the appliance until it's fully loaded - otherwise, a half load is wasteful for both energy and water.
While it may come across as surprising, running a full load should approximately cost less than if you were to wash dishes by hand.
Meanwhile, Gene advises that you should always select an eco-friendly setting. Although the washing cycle may be longer, it works out considerably cheaper than alternative options.
You shouldn't pre-wash your dishes. If your dishwasher needed to pre-wash dishes, it would be integrated into the main cycle.
In addition, you shouldn't rinse. Approximately, it takes two minutes to scrape food waste into the bin. Rinsing your dishes can result in an unnecessary and costly expense.
Gene also advises getting to know your water type. If you live in a hard water area, it could potentially impact the performance of your dishwasher (and other appliances). Leaving residue behind, hard water will restrict water flow and eventually stop your dishwasher from working. Installing a water softener would prevent this.
While a dishwasher's purpose is to make other products clean, you should never forget about maintaining the appliance.
Cleaning filters, using limescale removers, and other basic maintenance, can make the world of difference and will improve your dishwasher's performance.
Lastly, he advises you to always research your product before purchasing. Dishwashers come with a range of energy ratings. If you choose a model with a high-efficiency rating, it will cost you less to run.
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