| Choosing a dishwasher |
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• Make sure to use a full load every time. Buy a dishwasher with a capacity that is suitable to your household size. If you live alone a nine place setting machine should be sufficient, but if you have a large family you may want to buy a twelve place setting model. • Experiment with the different settings on your dishwasher. Many modern machines offer ‘Eco’ or ‘Economy’ settings that use less water and energy while providing the same quality wash as the normal setting. Check your user manual for water consumption information or, if the information is not provided, contact the manufacturer. • Avoid pre-rinsing. With many modern dishwashers and detergents tablets, you no longer have to pre-rinse your dishes before loading them into the machine – simply scrape off the leftovers into your rubbish bin or compost heap, and then place in your machine. Choosing a water efficient dishwasher Unfortunately, many manufacturers, suppliers and retailers do not provide information about the water efficiency of their models, so you may have to put in a little effort in order to find out. Make sure to ask for this information or else manufacturers and retailers will continue to not supply it. To help you in your search, we have ranked all dishwashers on the UK markets in 2006 and 2007, according to water efficiency: • 2007 Dishwasher Rankings (Excel format; PDF format) We do hope to continue this work in 2008, and ideally would like to update the lists twice yearly, but Waterwise do not currently have the staff resources to do so. Many of the 2006 and 2007 models are still available, but if the model that you are interested in is not listed, please
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with model information and we will do a bit of digging to find out how efficient it is. Alternatively, you can do some calculations on your own: The best models will have a water efficiency of less than 1.08 litres per place setting, while the very worst can exceed 3 litres per place setting. You can also look out for the Waterwise Marque, which has been awarded to the following dishwashers: - Bosch SGS69L12GB and SGS69L18GB Aside from water efficiency, price and colour will also be important factors to consider. In addition, almost all models on the market are now A-rated for energy, and many models are also A-rated on Dry and on Wash. The best of the best will have been awarded the Energy Saving Recommended Label by the Energy Saving Trust. For more information Check out our Washing Up section Visit the Energy Saving Trust’s website |
