As of late September 2026, heated dry is pure muscle memory in my Houston kitchen. Load the dishwasher, press start, hit the dry button, walk away. I figured the heat was the only thing standing between me and a rack of wet, spotty glasses, so why mess with it.
Then I read CenterPoint Energy’s list of free energy-saving tips, and one line stopped me: “Only run your dishwasher when full and let dishes air-dry to cut dishwasher energy use.” Here in Texas I’d never once thought of the dry button as a setting worth a second look. Turns out it is.
Ask an appliance tech about a dishwasher that won’t dry.Describe the wet dishes and your dry-setting habits, then send your details so local techs can call about it.“My dishwasher leaves dishes wet without the heated dry setting.”→Free for homeowners · Your number stays private
What ENERGY STAR says
ENERGY STAR, the EPA’s efficiency program, puts drying right in its description of what a dishwasher spends power on: “Dishwashers consume energy to operate the machine, heat the water, and dry the dishes.” And when it tells shoppers what to look for in a new machine, it lists the ability to turn off heated dry among the options…