You’ve been using your dishwasher all wrong – simple swaps can cut £396 off your energy bills

YOUR dishwasher might make life easier, but it could also be adding hundreds to your energy bills.

A dishwasher is one of the most energy-hungry appliances in the kitchen, but changing the way you use the machine could save you a small fortune.

Using a dishwasher might mean you don't have to argue over who does the washing up, but it's important to use it as efficiently as possible.

More important than ever, in fact, as households are grappling with soaring energy bills.

A new energy comes into effect next week, which will add almost £700 to the average household energy bill.

Following the increase, Magnet estimates it will cost up to £1.51 each time you use your dishwasher.

That means if you do five cycles a week, it will add £392 a year to your energy bills.

But simple changes and even - dare we say it - washing up by hand occasionally could slash your bill.

With that in mind, here are three ways you can cut your costs:

Choose an eco setting - save £146

Each appliance has an energy rating, but you might not realise this based on you using its eco-setting.

So your dishwasher might be costing you more than expected if you're using the standard setting.

An eco-setting uses a lower temperature so less energy is used in heating up the water through the cycle.

According to , using eco-mode compared to the auto programme will save you around 523 kWh of energy over a year.

Under the new price cap coming into effect in April, one kWh of electricity costs 28p - so that's a saving of £146.44 over a year.

Wait for a full load - save £192

Your dishwasher uses the same amount of water and energy regardless of how full it is, so for maximum efficiency it's best to fill it up.

Watch out for over-filling, of course, as this can stop it cleaning the dishes properly.

But there's no point putting the machine on just for a couple of plates.

Waiting for a full load could halve the number of times you use your dishwasher through the year, thereby halving your costs.

And, based on Magnet's figures, if you half the number of cycles you do over a year, you'll save £196.

The lower level of the dishwasher is where both the highest pressure and temperature are, so load your dirtiest items here.

If you've only got a few dirty dishes, it might be worth washing them by hand rather than putting the dishwasher on.

If you are doing this, make sure you use a washing up bowl rather than filling the sink to use less water.

But don't leave the tap running while you wash up - this will add another £60 a year to your bill, according to Octopus.

Invest in an energy-efficient machine - save £54

While you shouldn't rush out and buy a new dishwasher for the sake of it, if you are thinking of replacing yours then it's worth looking for an energy efficient model.

Older dishwashers tend to be more expensive to run as they're less energy efficient.

A new energy ranking system was introduced in March 2021 to help homeowners determine the best appliances to buy.

Items are ranked alphabetically from A to G, with A being the most energy efficient, and G being the least.

An appliance which was rated A++ on the old scale could be ranked an F on the new one.

Which? estimates that an energy efficient dishwasher can save you £544 over a typical 10-year period - an annual saving of roughly £54 off your energy bill.

But note that a new A -ated dishwasher could cost you roughly £250, meaning it could take you around five years to make your money back.

And it's not just dishwashers - you've probably been using your washing machine all wrong.

Also, here are four common radiator mistakes that could be driving up your bills.

And if you have a boiler, you may not know these tips to reduce your bills.