Rocketing energy bills have quickly become a huge concern for millions of households across the UK, particularly as we now head into winter.
With the colder months ahead, many of us will be looking for ways to can cut down on gas and electricity costs.
The simple way to do this is to reduce the amount of gas and electricity you're using, and switching to some different household appliances can actually save you hundreds on your bills, as well as being better for the environment.
Insurance provider SO-SURE has looked into a range of tech-focused appliances designed to do just that. Here are the switches that could save you the most money.
Energy-saving kettle
According to the Energy Saving Trust, the average Brit boils their kettle four times a day, which adds up to a total cost of £203.72 per year.
While it's still significantly cheaper to make hot drinks yourself at home, switching to an energy-saving kettle could save you even more.
The experts at SO-SURE recommend something like the Russell Hobbs Illuminating Glass Kettle.
They said: "With a 66% increase in energy efficiency over typical kettles, this Russell Hobbs Illuminating Glass Kettle has a one-cup setting so you only boil the amount of water needed and switching to an energy-saving kettle could save you around £25 a year."
Airfryer
There's been a boom in the popularity of airfryers in recent years, but as well as making cooking simple, they can also help you cut down on cooking costs.
As the cost of living crisis continues, more families are cooking using airfryers, with Argos claiming to have sold 1.6 air fryers per minute in the first week of September 2022.
Airfryers are a lot cheaper to run than an oven and are an energy-efficient way to cook.
The SO-SURE experts explained: "As an example, the total energy cost of cooking chips will cost approximately 15p in an air fryer and 35p in a fan-assisted oven. Whilst this is a small difference, over time, it can mean a saving of around £146 a year."
Water-efficient shower heads
While cutting down on energy bills is the priority for lots of people at the moment, it's also possible to make significant savings on your water costs by switching to a more eco-friendly appliance.
The average Brit uses a huge 50 litres of water per shower, which adds up to around £219 per person a year.
But switching to a water-efficient shower head can save a lot of water, with SO-SURE explaining that it could lead to savings of up to £87.60 a year on the average water bill.
They recommended a shower head like the Methven Aurajet RUA Shower Handset, explaining: "It is one of the most water-efficient shower heads on the market. Despite its futuristic halo-shaped design, the ‘Aurajet’ technology means that you still get the full-bodied spray of a conventional shower, while using nearly 40% less water per shower."
Electric blanket
Another way to save money on costly heating bills is to focus on heating yourself and your furniture as opposed to the whole house.
An easy way to do this is by using an electric blanket.
According to Ofgem, one kWh of electricity now costs approximately 34p, meaning a 150W electric blanket costs as little as 5.1p per hour to run.
It costs a medium household approximately £609 a year to power central heating, so even if you were to use an electric blanket for four hours a day every day during the winter, you would only spend £183.60 per year, with huge savings to be made.
Smart thermometer
With the weather getting colder, many Brits will be turning on the heating when they wake up and leaving it on for the day, or having it on a timer that means the heating comes on when people aren't in.
By having a smart thermometer you can turn your heating on and off remotely, and it will also turn your heating off automatically when you've gone out, saving you money.
SO-SURE added: "People can save up to a third (31%) on heating using a smart thermostat, which means average savings of around £190 a year."
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