Irish households have been dealt a number of price increases over the past five days as several energy providers confirmed October hikes in line with rising inflation.
There are thousands of households struggling to make it to the end of the month, with energy bills consistently showing up as one of the main concerns facing them.
The average household can be charged up to €150 per year for leaving appliances plugged in, but did you know there is a simple way to cut this out?
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Some examples of how leaving certain appliances plugged in adds up include:
- Leaving just one TV on standby can waste up to €19.09 of electricity a year
- Games console, like an XBox or Playstation, use around 10 watts in standby - so
- €19.37 a year each when not in use.
- A laptop will add €5.88 a year to your bill if you leave it sitting untouched but plugged in.
- Google Home or Alexa Smart speakers use almost as much power when in standby as when in use, so €4.12 a year on your bill for each speaker.
- People working from home may have a printer, which even when unused adds €7.75 a year to your bill.
- A plug-in baby monitor will cost you €5.81 a year when not being used.
- A phone charger left plugged in, when not charging, adds 38 cent a year to your bill.
However, there is on one simple and effective way to cut your electricity bills that many people don’t know about - and it only costs €5.
Forgetting to turn off devices you’re not using is a common mistake people make, but experts are now pushing the use of a plug-in timer as a cheap and simple way to cut your energy bills.
They automatically switch off the devices that are plugged in when you aren't using them.
They can be used to switch off TVs, radios, microwaves, smart speakers, set-top boxes, games consoles and other devices that continue to drain power even when you aren't using them.
There are lots of options online and in stores nationwide for as little as €5, and could help you conserve energy and save on your electricity bill this winter.
Some of the stores they are available in across Ireland include Woodies and DID Electrical but they can also be purchased online on both store’s websites as well as Amazon and RS Ireland.
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