An energy efficient dishwasher will use, on average, 40% less energy than an old inefficient model. The Hoover VisionOne machines use 53% less water and 45% less electricity to wash the equivalent place settings compared to a 10year old Hoover model.

Today's automatic dishwashers are more efficient than ever, requiring very little energy to run. Actually, handwashing uses 2.4kWh of energy where dishwashers use 1.2kWh per load! And when it comes to water consumption, the average dishwasher uses less water than washing by hand. In fact on average, a dishwasher will use 12-20 litres of water per wash compared to 40 when washing dishes by hand. The water used to wash up over the course of a year would be enough to fill 40 baths!

Loading and unloading a dishwasher will take just ten minutes compared to 30-45 minutes when washing up by hand. Over the course of a year, a dishwasher could save up to three weeks in time.

Dishwashers will reduce the spread of germs. A dishwasher is washing the dishes in temperatures of 50-75°C, a far higher temperature than hands can tolerate. Dishwasher detergent is far stronger than washing up liquid and contains ingredients which ensure food soils are broken down and washed away during the washing cycle. Combined with the very hot water and the mechanical action of the dishwasher, a far higher standard of cleanliness is achieved than could be by handwashing. As a result, harmful bacteria are destroyed that might otherwise remain unseen on your dishes

A used, damp tea towel can harbour up to 30,000,000,000,000 (30 trillion) colonies of bacteria - such is the rate at which bacteria multiply. Dishwashers dry your dishes for you, so you don’t need to use a tea towel.