I saved $53 dollars this month on my hydro bill. Want to know how?

[ParisApril]

I couldn't believe it. I figured my bill would be higher because we have been running the lights and the dryer more since it seems to always be raining and cloudy lately. But what a surprise to open my bill and find it much, much lower than normal. I have been racking my brain trying to figure out why and I realized that I haven't been using my dishwasher! I have a 3/4 dishwasher and I normally have to hand wash bigger stuff anyway because I don't want to run it to wash 2 big bowls. So I just have been hand washing everything. I can't believe I saved $53 bucks in one month! We have a combined water/electric bill and that $53 dollars is 1/3 of the bill. Looks like I will be washing more dishes by hand. Just wanted to let everyone know.

[SneakyPie]

Yowza!

[queenjulie]

Is your hydro bill your water or electric bill? It sounds like electric, and yes, your dishwasher uses a lot of electricity, particularly if you use the hot dry cycle. You can continue to use your dishwasher, but with the dryer turned off, and your electric bill will be lower than usual (although not as low as not using it at all).

Dishwashers in general, however, use less water than hand-washing, so your water bill may you up a tad if you hand wash everything.

[randallquiver]

Wow! That sounds great.

[RiverSky]

Is it an older model? Does it perhaps have a short?

[Sustainer]

She said it's a combined water/electric bill. When she handwashed everything instead of using the dishwasher, it went down.

[ParisApril]

Our water and electricity are on the same bill. We bought the dishwasher brand new last year. It is a small dishwasher http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_1...nch+dishwasher

That is my exact dishwasher. It is not an option not to heat dry. Now that I won't be using it I wish I had some extra drawers there instead!