Kitchen · Midwest
Cost to run a dishwasher in Nebraska
At Nebraska’s average residential rate of 13.59¢ per kWh, a dishwasher drawing 1200W for 1 hour a day costs about $2.48 a month. Change the numbers below to match how you actually use yours.
Quick answer
Based on 1200W at a 50% duty cycle (this equipment cycles on and off rather than drawing full power continuously) and 13.59¢/kWh, the Nebraska average for May 2026.
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— per year
Why the cost differs in Nebraska
Nebraska has the 4th cheapest residential electricity of the 51 US states and territories we track, at 13.59¢ per kWh against a national average of 18.44¢. That is -26.3% compared with the national figure. Nebraska is the only state served entirely by public power, with no investor-owned utilities anywhere in it. That means no shareholder returns are built into rates, which is a structural reason its electricity is cheap rather than a temporary market condition. Retail choice does not exist. Hot summers and cold winters both drive meaningful load.
For this appliance specifically, the difference works out to a saving of $10.62 a year against what the same dishwasher would cost at the national average rate. Run the identical appliance in Hawaii and it would cost $114 a year; in Idaho it would cost $27.05. That spread of $86.83 is entirely down to location.
That works out to roughly 2.1% of a typical Nebraska household's annual electricity bill - modest individually, though appliances in this range add up.
Electricity in Nebraska is cheap by national standards, which cuts both ways: running this dishwasher costs less than it would almost anywhere else, but the payback period on an efficiency upgrade is correspondingly longer. Replacing a working unit purely to save energy is harder to justify here.
Nebraska is served by public power rather than investor-owned utilities, so there is no supplier to shop between. The published average is close to what most households actually pay.
| Location | Rate | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nebraska this page | 13.59¢ | $2.48 | $29.76 |
| US average | 18.44¢ | $3.37 | $40.38 |
| Idaho cheapest state | 12.35¢ | $2.26 | $27.05 |
| Hawaii most expensive | 52.00¢ | $9.50 | $114 |
Nebraska electricity rate trend
Rates in Nebraska have moved from 13.14¢ to 13.59¢ per kWh over the last twelve months of published data. Nationally, residential rates rose about 6.2% year over year.
2025-06 to 2026-05 · cents per kWh
About running a dishwasher
Most of a dishwasher cycle cost is heating water, not running the pump. Skipping heated dry and using an eco cycle cuts consumption substantially with no change in cleanliness.
What actually changes the cost
- Nameplate wattage is not running cost. This dishwasher draws about 1200W when active, but cycles roughly 50% of the time it is switched on, so effective consumption is near 600W.
- If your utility offers time-of-use pricing, shifting this load off-peak can cut its cost substantially without using any less energy.
How we worked this out
The arithmetic is simple and we would rather show it than hide it. Divide watts by 1,000 to get kilowatts, multiply by hours of use and by the duty cycle to get kilowatt-hours, then multiply by your rate:
1200W ÷ 1000 × 1h × 50% = 0.600 kWh/day × 13.59¢ = $0.082 per day
One honest caveat: Nebraska’s figure is a state average published by the EIA. Your own utility’s tariff, any time-of-use pricing, fixed monthly service charges and local taxes all shift the real number. Put your actual per-kWh rate into the calculator above for a figure that reflects your bill.
Questions about dishwasher running costs
How many watts does a dishwasher use?
A typical dishwasher draws about 1200 watts while running, with most models falling between 1200W and 1800W. Check the nameplate label or manual for your specific unit - the range is wide enough that averages can mislead.
How much electricity does a dishwasher use per day?
At around 1 hour of use a day and a 50% duty cycle, that works out to roughly 0.6 kWh per day, or about 18 kWh a month. Your actual figure depends on your usage and model.
Why does the cost differ so much between states?
Residential electricity rates across the US range from about 12.35 cents per kWh in North Dakota to 46.62 cents in Hawaii - nearly a fourfold difference. The same dishwasher, used identically, therefore costs almost four times as much to run in the most expensive state as in the cheapest.
Is it cheaper to run a dishwasher at night?
Only if you are on a time-of-use or variable tariff. On a flat rate, the time of day makes no difference to cost. If you are on time-of-use pricing, off-peak hours are typically materially cheaper, and shifting this load can reduce its cost without reducing usage.