Dishwashers: save energy and money.(Your dream kitchen for less)(Buyers guide)

Dishwasher makers are focusing on energy efficiency with their latest models. And while you'll have to spend $700 or more for an easy-loading, quiet dishwasher that cleans impressively, you can get an energy-efficient model that will handle your toughest loads for about half that amount.

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Water conservation is leading the efficiency efforts. While some models use up to 10 gallons per load, many in our tests with very dirty dishes consume less. The Asko Encore 3531XLHD, $1,600, used 3 gallons, and the Kenmore 1312[2], $900, and the Bosch SHE33MO[2]UC, $540, each consumed about 5 gallons.

Electricity usage is the other energy key. Jenn-Air's JDB1105AW and Maytag's MDB8951BW each have an annual power tab of about $105 (with an electric water heater). But that Asko Encore uses a miserly $52 per year.

With stricter new federal energy standards for dishwashers coming in 2010-and with 10 states having passed legislation to ban dishwasher detergents with phosphates--manufacturers will be challenged to keep performance high as environmental requirements toughen.

Still, don't wait until 2010 to replace an energy-hungry dishwasher: "If a consumer needs a new dishwasher, they should feel confident in buying one now," says Christina Kielich, a Department of Energy spokeswoman. "The new Energy Star criteria for dishwashers will not offset the lost energy savings of waiting a year or two to buy a new model." You'll enjoy features your current model probably lacks, and a new energy-efficient dishwasher could save you hundreds of dollars over its life. (The average dishwasher lasts about 10 years.)

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