Running cost comes down to wattage, hours and your rate. In Kansas the rate is 15.13 cents per kWh, which is 18.0 percent below the national average. Here is what that means for a dishwasher.
A dishwasher drawing 1,800 W costs $0.27 per hour in Kansas. Run 1 hours a day that is $0.27 daily, $8.17 a month and $99.40 a year, which is $21.75 less than the same appliance at the US average rate.
Dishwasher cost at Kansas rates
Change any box. The result updates as you type.
Planning estimate. The rate box is prefilled with a regional average; the figure on your own bill is the one that matters. Power is draw while running, not while switched on.
Cost by hours used per day in Kansas
| Hours/day | Energy | Per day | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 h | 1.80 kWh | $0.27 | $8.17 |
| 2 h | 3.60 kWh | $0.54 | $16.34 |
| 4 h | 7.20 kWh | $1.09 | $32.68 |
| 6 h | 10.80 kWh | $1.63 | $49.02 |
| 8 h | 14.40 kWh | $2.18 | $65.36 |
| 12 h | 21.60 kWh | $3.27 | $98.04 |
| 24 h | 43.20 kWh | $6.54 | $196 |
Cost by wattage at 15.13 cents
| Rated power | Per hour | Per day | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,200 W | $0.18 | $0.18 | $5.45 |
| 1,500 W | $0.23 | $0.23 | $6.81 |
| 1,800 W | $0.27 | $0.27 | $8.17 |
| 2,100 W | $0.32 | $0.32 | $9.53 |
| 2,400 W | $0.36 | $0.36 | $10.89 |
Find the row matching the nameplate on your own unit. Within a single appliance category the spread is often wider than the difference between categories, so the label is worth reading.
What actually varies by state
Dishwasher cycles run much the same regardless of climate; the wattage and cycle length barely change between Kansas and anywhere else. What genuinely differs here is the electricity rate itself, which is why this page exists at all rather than a single national figure.
Why Kansas pays what it does
Kansas is a regulated market, so your utility is the only supplier and the rate is set through the state commission rather than by competition. Pricing tends to be steadier than in deregulated states, and there is no switching decision available. The levers are all on your side of the meter.
At 15.13 cents, Kansas ranks 18 of 51 from cheapest to most expensive. The Midwest regional average is 16.55 cents. Roughly half of any residential bill is transmission and distribution rather than generation, which is why rates keep climbing even when fuel prices fall.
How this compares across the country
The same dishwasher on the same schedule, in the cheapest and dearest states:
| State | Rate | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Idaho | 12.35¢ | $6.67 | $81.14 |
| Utah | 12.96¢ | $7.00 | $85.15 |
| Kansas | 15.13¢ | $8.17 | $99.40 |
| California | 33.25¢ | $17.96 | $218 |
| Hawaii | 52.00¢ | $28.08 | $342 |
Lowering the number in Kansas
- Turn off heated dry. The single largest discretionary energy use in the cycle.
- Run full loads. The machine heats roughly the same amount of water whether half full or full.
- Skip the pre-rinse. Rinsing under a hot tap can use more hot water than the dishwasher cycle itself.
- Use the eco cycle for anything not urgent. Longer and cooler, and it uses less energy despite the extra time.
Offsetting it with solar in Kansas
This load uses about 1.80 kWh a day. Covering that would take roughly 2 standard 400 W panels at typical sun hours, an array of about 0.80 kW. Because it offsets electricity worth 15.13 cents rather than the national 18.44 cents, the same array is worth less here than the national payback figures suggest.
Most of the load is the heating element, which is steady and predictable. Running the cycle at midday is the whole strategy. Full sizing, including battery and inverter requirements, is on the solar sizing page for this appliance.