With energy bills set to soar this month households will be looking at ways to save money where they can.
Experts have revealed that the easiest way you can shave hundreds off your energy bills is by making sure your appliances are switched off. Studies show that leaving everyday items on standby can cost billpayers hundreds of pounds annually.
And as the cost of living crisis hits families hard, it's money many cash-strapped Brits can't afford to lose. Natalia Lachim from Discount Code said that leaving an appliance plugged in and turned on will drain electricity even if you are not using it.
"This is because electricity will be allowed to run through, thereby increasing your energy use and, sadly, your energy bills," she said.
According to Natalia, the following items are the worst offenders costing you the most money:
Television
Your TV is one of the most energy-hungry devices in the house when left on standby.
If you don’t want it idling in standby mode, you will have to make the effort to get up and turn the set off at the wall. But doing so will be worth it for the money you save.
“Leaving the TV plugged in and switched on uses 1.3kWh," Natalia said.
"As the average cost of electricity is now £0.34 per unit, just leaving the TV on idle for an hour a day adds up to an enormous £161.33 a year to your bill."
Fridge/Freezer
Clearing the fridge out is arguably one of the worst household tasks but doing so could save you money in the long-run.
Running this one appliance costs you around £138.72 per year but while you cannot simply turn off your fridge, there are ways to ensure it works as efficiently as possible.
The simplest way to make sure the fridge functions properly, according to Natalie is to routinely clean both the exterior and the interior.
“As every household needs to keep their fridge/freezer on, it is hardly surprising that over 12% of the entire household’s energy comes from running the fridge/freezer alone,” she said.
“Dusting the exterior means the cooling system won’t get affected, whereas cleaning the interior and disposing of any out-of-date food will ensure that the fridge doesn’t need to work as hard to keep food cool or frozen.”
Gaming consoles
By turning off your games console you can save up to £5.10 per day.
Gaming consoles are likely to be left plugged in and on as the TV but it consumes a significant 15kWh per hour when it is on standby.
“Simply making sure it is totally off can save £5.10 per day,” said Natalia.
Kettle
Although a kettle is not the worst energy consumer, switching it off at the wall can make a surprising saving.
“Leaving an average kettle plugged in and switched on when not in use uses around 0.3kWh,” said Natalia.
“Although this is seemingly a small unit of energy, it still adds £37.23 to your annual bill.”
Plugged in chargers
With many people working from home, almost all of us are guilty of leaving our chargers plugged in and ready to charge as soon as we need them. While it may be convenient, it is not the most cost-effective way to power up your devices.
‘While leaving an empty charger plugged in might not be the most expensive, it is still adding an unnecessary £17.87 to your annual bills,” Natalia said.
Alarm clock
Even alarm clocks connected to your mains will add to your energy bill.
“If your alarm clock is mains operated and is plugged in all the time, it can cost you around £24.48 annually,” Natalia said.
“Although this may not seem too expensive, to make further savings, you could consider turning off your clock when not in use and simply reset the time and your alarm before going to bed."
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