The program gap is fixed, only the dollar figure moves
Be clear where each of these two numbers comes from, because only one of them is a tested figure. The government's own registration database tests the eco program and puts it at 0.67 kWh a cycle; the normal-cycle figure of 1.0 kWh is not separately tested by the regulator, it is our own calculator's scaled estimate from that tested number, and the same is true of intensive. So treat the roughly-one-third cut as a well-founded estimate rather than two measurements compared, and note that the estimate's 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.
If the program you actually run is intensive
Normal is the fair comparison for most kitchens, but it isn't the only one, and the gap widens if intensive is the button being pressed. Intensive's registry-scaled figure, 1.3 kWh a cycle, uses almost twice as much energy as eco, a ratio that holds the same in every state for the same reason the eco-versus-normal gap does: 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
Does the eco-versus-normal saving change much depending on the state?
It ranges from $23.57 a year in the ACT to $32.78 in South Australia, a spread of $9.21 driven entirely by the reference tariff, which runs from the ACT's 27.4¢ a kWh to South Australia's 38.1¢. The energy side is identical everywhere: the July 2026 snapshot of the energyrating.gov.au registration database tests eco at 0.67 kWh a cycle, and our calculator scales that to 1.0 for normal, neither of which knows which state the machine ends up in. So the decision is the same in all eight, only the payoff differs.
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.
Is switching programs the biggest saving available here, or is the machine itself?
The program switch on this page is worth $23.57 to $32.78 a year depending on your state. Which machine you own is the bigger lever, and it is a one-off rather than a habit: our companion guide on whether a higher star rating means a cheaper dishwasher cycle finds a spread across real registered models at one capacity that dwarfs this page's program gap. Both are worth having, and the program switch is the one you can make tonight.
Which dishwashers actually cost the least to run, regardless of program?
The saving on this page assumes the machine you already have. If you are replacing it, the starting point moves: our cheapest 14-place-setting dishwashers to run guide ranks the 10 real registered models with the lowest kWh-per-cycle figure in this capacity class, and the cheapest of them runs at $25.34 a year before any program choice is factored in at all.
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.