What the star rating actually compares
The Energy Rating Label's star count is a within-class comparison, not a market-wide one. The regulator's own guidance is explicit about it: the star rating “allows you to compare the efficiency of products that have similar capacity and features”, and its own dishwasher-specific worked example spells out the trap directly: a dishwasher that holds 10 place settings and carries a 5-star rating will use more energy than a 5-star dishwasher that holds only 6 place settings. Stars only mean what they promise once you've already matched two machines for capacity; across different sizes, the same star count can hide a genuinely different running cost.
Place settings themselves fall into three rough bands the regulator defines: compact models hold up to 8 place settings (including benchtop units), slimline models hold 9 to 10, and full-sized models, the most common in Australian kitchens, hold 12 to 15. One place setting is a defined bundle too, not a vague guess: a large plate, a soup bowl, a dessert bowl, a cup and saucer, a glass and a set of cutlery. The regulator's own figure for what a star is actually worth: every extra star can cut a dishwasher's running cost by up to 30%, worked out the same simple way every time, energy consumption in kWh multiplied by your electricity tariff. That number, not the star icon count, is the one that actually determines the bill.
What this costs, state by state
14 place settings is the single largest capacity group in the whole government registry, 377 of the 1241 currently registered models. These three are real registered 14-place-setting dishwashers from that same group, at our calculator's own default of 5 cycles a week.
| State | Rate | Least efficient 14-setting model (PARMCO/VERSO TD6S-F1, 1.23 kWh/cycle) | Registry median, 14 place settings (0.73 kWh/cycle) | Most efficient 14-setting model (V-ZUG 41009, 0.3 kWh/cycle) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New South Wales | 32.4¢ | $104 | $61.66 | $25.34 |
| Victoria | 29.8¢ | $95.56 | $56.71 | $23.31 |
| Queensland | 31.2¢ | $100 | $59.38 | $24.40 |
| South Australia | 38.1¢ | $122 | $72.51 | $29.80 |
| Western Australia | 33.6¢ | $108 | $63.94 | $26.28 |
| Tasmania | 28.9¢ | $92.67 | $55.00 | $22.60 |
| Australian Capital Territory | 27.4¢ | $87.86 | $52.15 | $21.43 |
| Northern Territory | 31.7¢ | $102 | $60.33 | $24.79 |
Reference rates for 2026–27. Your row is highlighted once you set your location.
What this means when you're actually shopping
Two real, currently registered 14-place-setting dishwashers sit roughly 4.1× apart in the table above, same place-setting count, same government test, a bigger gap than the difference between running the eco program and the intensive program on our own calculator. That's why the regulator's own advice, once capacity is fixed, is to check the labelled energy consumption figure rather than count stars: a single star-rating band can still cover a wide range of real models.
Two things follow from that for a genuine shopping decision. First, only compare star ratings between dishwashers of the same place-setting count; a compact 8-setting model and a full-sized 14-setting model aren't a fair comparison even at matching star counts, the same trap the regulator's own example warns about. Second, once you've picked your capacity, read the label's own energy consumption number, or search the model directly in our calculator above, rather than trusting the star icon alone to rank two same-size machines correctly.
Common questions
Does a higher star rating always mean a cheaper dishwasher cycle?
Only if the two machines hold the same number of place settings. The Energy Rating Label's star count is a within-class comparison, so a compact 5-star model and a full-sized 5-star model aren't a fair comparison: the regulator's own example shows a 10-place-setting dishwasher can use more energy than a 6-place-setting dishwasher carrying the identical star rating.
What actually determines a dishwasher's running cost, if not the stars?
Two things, in order: place-setting capacity (a bigger dishwasher uses more energy per full load) and, only once that matches, the star rating or labelled energy consumption figure. Checking the actual kWh figure is more reliable than the star count alone, since real registered models of the identical capacity can still differ several-fold.
Where can I check a specific dishwasher's real energy use before buying?
The model's own Energy Rating Label lists an energy consumption figure in kWh, or search the exact model in our dishwasher cost per cycle calculator above, which pulls directly from the same government registration database this guide uses.
Once I've bought an efficient dishwasher, does the program I run it on still matter?
Yes, meaningfully. See our companion guide on eco vs normal dishwasher cycle costs for what switching programs alone saves, on top of whatever the machine's star rating already buys.
Sources
Star rating comparability rules, the dishwasher-specific 10-vs-6-place-setting worked example, and the place-setting size bands (compact, slimline, full-sized), quoted directly: energyrating.gov.au, Dishwashers (also the source for the "up to 30% per star" figure). Annual running cost formula and the general same-size comparison rule: energyrating.gov.au, Understand the Energy Rating Label. Per-model kWh-per-cycle and place settings for the 14-setting comparison: the same energyrating.gov.au registration database (July 2026 snapshot) our dishwasher calculator's own model finder uses, filtered to the 377 currently registered 14-place-setting models. Electricity rates: AER Default Market Offer and each state's regulated reference tariff, current for 2026–27. All fetched July 2026.