Buy an Energy Star Dishwasher (in 2012)

The next generation of Energy Star dishwashers will go on sale in January 2012, and they'll be 8% more efficient than the current generation of Energy Star appliances.

Comments

Photo: Lucy Claxton / Getty Images

By Dan Shapley

The government is upgrading its Energy Star standards for dishwashers, so that the next generation of appliances, going on sale in January 2012, will be at least 8% more efficient than the models that currently earn the Energy Star sticker. So if you're considering a new purchase, you might want to wait a few months.

The new Energy Star models will be as much as 30% more energy efficient than the average models for sale, so you'll save significantly on electricity costs over the life of the dishwasher. The new models will be labeled as of Jan. 20, 2012, but about 20% of the appliances on the market today already meet the new standards, according to the Energy Star program, run by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy.

The Energy Star label also denotes models that save water, no more than 4.25 gallons per cycle for full-sized models, or 2.5 gallons for compact models.

No matter what kind of dishwasher you use, you can save additional energy and water by always filling it completely before running it, choosing the economy cycles and avoiding the heat-drying option. And check out our reviews of phosphate-free dishwasher detergents for eco-friendly options that work.

COMMENTS ()