Use the air dry setting on your dishwasher

The heated drying phase is one of the most energy-hungry parts of a dishwasher cycle. Skipping it and letting your dishes dry naturally can save a lot of power.

When your machine offers an air dry option, select it rather than heat dry. This simple choice can cut the energy used by the dishwasher by as much as half.

No air dry option? Just open the door once the cycle ends. The dishes will dry on their own, without using any electricity.

When you buy a new dishwasher, check that it includes an air drying setting. It makes saving energy effortless.

You can also save energy by choosing a short cycle for most loads and keeping long cycles for very dirty dishes only. Short cycles usually clean just as well. Finally, avoid the “rinse hold” function, because it consumes a lot of hot water.