Leaving electrical appliances and tech on standby could be sucking nearly £150 a year from your bank account.
Whether you call them vampire or phantom devices, they can still drain a significant amount of electricity even when you aren't using them, according to British Gas. In fact, they can cost each household up to £12 a month - or a staggering £2.2billion a year throughout the UK.
Any device left plugged into the wall but not switched off will be guilty of silently using power, including smart speakers, laptops, and internet routers.
Read more: Can you wash your clothes in cold water to save money?
Here is the full list of shame:
Television: £24.61
Set top box/satellite: £23.10
Modem/internet router: £18.89
Microwave: £16.37
Games Console: £12.17
Computer: £11.22
Shower: £9.80
Smart speakers/ smart home devices: £8.94
Dishwasher: £6.86
Tumble dryer: £4.79
Washing machine: £4.73
Printer: £3.81
Mobile device charger: £1.26
TOTAL
£146.53
As most homes will have more than one of some devices - phone chargers or TVs for instance - it's easy to see how the true picture could be nearer to £200. Some things do need to be kept on most of the time, for instance your router and smart speaker, but a lot can be switched off easily.
British Gas energy expert Marc Robson said: "There are smart plugs you can buy which will let you check everything is turned off from your phone. At night, or when not in use, try switching off devices at the mains rather than switching to standby, as even the standby light on a television uses energy.
"Try not to overcharge your mobile phone and laptop unnecessarily. As soon as your device is charged, try and get into the habit of unplugging it. Not only will this save energy but it also prolongs battery life. A smart meter 's in-home display can help to identify how much energy is used at different times of the day, so you can see where energy is wasted."
The study by British Gas also found that almost one in three Britons (28 per cent) are already worried about paying their energy bills this year, and 46 per cent unsurprisingly admitted they were more interested than ever to make energy savings. The bills of 22 million households in Britain on the standard Ofgem energy cap increased by 54 per cent at the start of April, and experts predict more rises on the way when the energy price cap is next reviewed in August.
