Does an EnergyStar Dishwasher Save Energy Compared to Hand Washing?
Jan 6, 2009 – On Dec 30, 2008, Victoria Roberts at The New York Times asked the above question [with respect to $ for both energy and water use] and came up with an affirmative answer. They stated, “The federal Energy Star program estimates average savings of $42 a year from using an efficient dishwasher rather than washing dishes in the sink. The estimate is based on a national [USA] average of current utility costs, both gas and electric, said Maria T. Vargas, spokeswoman for the program. The savings figure includes an estimated $22 for the water that is used and $20 for the energy used, Ms. Vargas said. The energy use is further divided between that used to heat the water, about 55%, and to run the machine, about 45%. The Energy Star estimate also assumes that a full load is washed each time and that the load contains 8 to 12 place settings. The energy savings is determined in large part by how much hot water is used, Ms. Vargas said, and efficient machines use only about 4 gallons per full load, aimed in a fine stream at the dishes and used over and over. Hand washing the equivalent of a full load typically uses 27 gallons of hot water for washing and rinsing, she said. Lest it be assumed that the high water-use difference reflects just American habits, the gap is comparable to one found in a European study at the University of Bonn: 15 liters for the machine versus 103 liters for the sink, though that study involved the cooperation of dishwasher manufacturers.”
So, is the above correct. It was a government study reported in the venerable New York Times. Not according to Liz Kemble in a Letter to the Editor today. She asks, “Which method of hand washing is assumed: having 2 basins with water in them or letting the water run continuously?” Which method do you use? I don’t think I recall seeing anyone use the 2 sink method. Actually, I have rarely seen anyone use hand washing recently except for items that are too large to fit in a dishwasher. Ms. Kemble’s conclusion is that “it may be that hand washing uses less energy. To my mind, using a dishwasher is part of our American habit of swatting flies with a sledgehammer.”
How do you wash your dishes? Which method do you believe uses less energy. Please leave your comments here.
