 Dishwashers use less water, and therefore less fuel to heat the water, than hand washing, except for small quantities washed in wash bowls without running water.Hand-washing techniques vary by individual.According to a peer-reviewed study in 2003, hand washing and drying of an amount of dishes equivalent to a fully loaded automatic dishwasher (no cookware or bakeware) could use between of water and between 0.1 and 8 kWh of energy, while the numbers for energy-efficient automatic dishwashers were and 1 to 2 kWh, respectively.