With the rising cost of living leading to gas end electricity bills soaring for millions of households across the country, many Brits may be looking for ways to conserve energy and save money.
Despite this, many may be unaware that there are plenty of electronic 'vampire devices' which drain a shocking amount of electricity when they are left on standby. These devices have an extremely negative effect on electricity bills with British Gas research suggesting households in the UK spend £2.2bn every year just by leaving these devices on standby.
For the average household, this means spending an extra £147 - or, the equivalent of two months' worth of electricity bills. Earlier this year, the energy price was increased by 54 per cent, meaning the typical household will not pay £1,971 a year on bills alone.
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If you are looking to save a decent amount of money on your electricity bill then it's a good idea to familiarise yourself with 'vampire devices' which could be sucking money straight out of your wallet. We have provided a list of some of the most expensive standby devices:
- Televisions costs an average of £24.61 a year to leave a TV on standby with an additional cost of £23.19 for a set-top box like Sky or Virgin Media.
- Games consoles drain on average £12.17 a year when left on standby with computers costing around £11.22.
- Microwaves will run a yearly charge of £16.37 on standby.
- Washing machines cost around £4.73 when not-in use and left on standby.
- Printers cost slightly lower at £3.81 a year.
- While phone chargers are probably the most used device, when left on standby they only cost £1.26 a year
Turning these devices off at night or when you don't need them could help to conserve plenty of electricity and shave off plenty of money from your electricity bills. There are also alternative pieces of technology you could utilise to stop your worrying about vampire devices.
Marc Robson, a British Gas energy expert, told the BBC: "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."
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