Five appliances adding to your energy bill even when they’re switched off
With energy bills soaring, everyone is doing what they can to keep costs down at home. As well as the obvious solutions such as turning the heating down or off when not needed and switching off lights, there are still appliances left plugged in that could be making up nearly a quarter of your energy bill.
According to British Gas, up to 23% of a typical British home’s energy use could be made up of ‘vampire appliances’ – that equates to £453 of the average energy bill after the latest price cap.
What are Vampire Appliances?
Vampire appliances are things you use every day, and you may think you’ve turned them off, but they could be adding hundreds to your yearly energy bill. Energy expert Rob Bohm says these devices add up to billions of pounds in wasted power every year.
Bohm said: “They’re electrical appliances, chargers and lights all over your home, devices that suck power from the mains — constantly — even when you think they’re switched off.”
Which appliances are they?
- Hi-Fi system on standby – £73 a year
- Sky box on standby – £73 a year
- Laptop charger not in use – £60 a year
- TV on standby – £10 a year
- Printer on standby – £10 a year
How can you avoid this?
- Avoid standby mode where you can. Just turn switches off at the mains for your appliances and gadgets.
- Don’t leave chargers plugged into your devices when you’re not using them. Once they’re charged, disconnect the device and unplug the charger.
- Turn your lights off when you leave the room. Change your lightbulbs to more energy-efficient ones if you can.
- Use your appliances to their full extent – fill your washing machines and dishwashers rather than doing multiple loads.
