Week two of using the EDF Energy EcoManager and it's time to bring out the big guns: the white goods. While it's tempting to unplug the fridge and freezer just to see how much energy they use, I'm a realist and the fact is I'm several stages from accepting that we need to go back to the days of larders. And as I don't trust myself to accidentally turn off both, the fridge and freezer remain transmitter free.
That still leaves the dishwasher, washer and dryer, all of which I can easily monitor and switch off from the central EcoManager unit to help me to take control of my energy consumption.
I have heard claims that if used correctly a dishwasher can be more energy efficient than washing up by hand. Can this really be true? After removing all of my pots and pans, I find the plug socket for the dishwasher and discover that no matter how much I try to force it the space is too awkward for the transmitter to fit.
Determined not to be thwarted, I go online and try to find out my dishwasher's energy rating. This proves harder than you'd think, but I find a similar model in a report on Which? Online, which uses 1.01kWh, which equates to 12.6p per wash, and roughly £23 per year (assuming a usage of one cycle every two days).
The site advises only using the dishwasher when it's full, and using the eco-setting, which uses less water and washes at a lower temperature, thereby saving energy. According to the website, some eco-programmes use 12 litres to wash a full cycle - that's little more than a typical washing-up bowl of water. So, the dishwasher isn't so bad after all, but from now on it's full loads and the eco-setting all the way.
Now, can someone please do a study on whether it's worth rinsing dishes beforehand?
About the author
Hannah is a freelance journalist who lives in east London with her partner. Despite often being found watching TV while working on her laptop with the radio playing in the kitchen, Hannah considers herself environmentally aware: she takes a keen interest in growing her own vegetables and cycles to work. Here she re-evaluates her energy consumption at home thanks to EDF Energy's EcoManager.
