The program gap is fixed, only the dollar figure moves
The government's own registration data puts the eco program at 0.67 kWh a cycle against 1.0 kWh for normal, a cut of roughly a third, and that ratio doesn't change depending on where the dishwasher is plugged in. What does change is what a kilowatt-hour costs: South Australia's reference electricity rate runs close to 40% higher than the ACT's, so the identical program switch is worth noticeably more in one state than the other, even though the underlying energy saved per cycle is exactly the same.
What switching to eco actually saves, by state
Switching every wash from normal to eco, at the dishwasher calculator's own default of 5 cycles a week, all year round.
| State | Eco, 5 cycles/week | Normal, 5 cycles/week | Annual saving |
|---|---|---|---|
| New South Wales | $56.59 | $84.47 | $27.87 |
| Victoria | $52.05 | $77.69 | $25.64 |
| Queensland | $54.50 | $81.34 | $26.84 |
| South Australia | $66.55 | $99.33 | $32.78 |
| Western Australia | $58.69 | $87.60 | $28.91 |
| Tasmania | $50.48 | $75.34 | $24.86 |
| Australian Capital Territory | $47.86 | $71.43 | $23.57 |
| Northern Territory | $55.37 | $82.64 | $27.27 |
Annual cost at the registry-median 0.67 kWh eco cycle versus the 1.0 kWh normal-cycle estimate (scaled from the tested eco figure, see the calculator above), 5 cycles a week, on each state’s current reference electricity rate. Your row is highlighted once you set your location.
Money for a habit, not a purchase
Every other payback figure on this site comes from buying a more efficient appliance, a fridge, a dryer, a heat pump hot water system, and waiting months or years for the running-cost saving to cover the purchase price. This one has no purchase price at all: it's a different button on a machine already sitting in the kitchen. Even the lowest figure in the table, $23.57 a year in the ACT, is real money for a change that costs nothing and takes no extra time, since the calculator's own worked example already assumes 5 cycles a week either way.
The gap moves further if intensive is the program actually being run instead of normal. Intensive's registry-scaled figure, 1.3 kWh a cycle, uses almost twice as much energy as eco, a ratio that (like the eco-versus-normal gap above) holds the same in every state, since it comes from the kWh figures alone, not the electricity rate. A household running intensive five times a week in South Australia is looking at roughly double the eco program's own $66.55 a year, again before any state-specific rate difference changes the exact number.
Try it with your own cycle count
The table above prices 5 cycles a week. Set your own cycles and state below and watch the cheaper side get the stamp.
Common questions
How much do I actually save running eco instead of normal on a dishwasher?
Between $23.57 a year in the ACT and $32.78 in South Australia, at 5 cycles a week and the government registry's median program-scaled kWh figures for each program. Every other state and territory falls between those two.
Does the eco-versus-normal saving change much depending on the state?
The dollar figure does, since it tracks the local electricity rate, but the underlying choice doesn't: eco always uses about a third less energy than normal, in every state, so switching is worth doing regardless of where you live. Only how many dollars that's worth changes.
Is intensive really almost double the cost of eco?
Yes, on the same registry-scaled figures our calculator uses: intensive's 1.3 kWh a cycle against eco's 0.67, a gap that holds the same ratio in every state since it's driven by the program's own energy use, not the electricity rate.
Does the dishwasher itself matter more than the program it's set to?
Over time, yes: buying an efficient model is the bigger, one-off lever. See our companion guide on whether a higher star rating means a cheaper dishwasher cycle for how much a real registry model spread can dwarf the eco-vs-normal gap on this page.
Sources
Eco, normal and intensive program kWh-per-cycle figures: the same energyrating.gov.au registration database (July 2026 snapshot) our dishwasher cost per cycle calculator's own model finder uses, eco tested directly, the other programs scaled estimates per the calculator's own copy. Electricity rates: AER Default Market Offer, the Victorian Default Offer and each remaining state's regulated reference tariff, current for 2026–27. All fetched July 2026.