Certain electrical devices in your home could be costing you up to £147 a year.
Simply turning off any 'vampire devices' could help you save money on energy bills. These are appliances which drain power even when you are not using them, reports The Mirror.
Even if not in use, some devices still use small amounts of energy just by being plugged in. These small amounts can quickly add up, significantly increasing your household bills.
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As long as devices are plugged in at the wall, they are slowly drawing power - even if you think they are switched off. Devices like laptops, broadband routers and smart speaks all use energy in this way.
For example, in standby mode TVs use a small amount of power to make them quicker to turn on. And while that might be convenient it is costing you money.
British Gas research shows UK households spend £3.16bn a year when leaving vampire devices on standby, the BBC reports. This adds up to £147 a year for the average household - or up to £297 for some homes.
Ten vampire appliances you can switch off - and how much they cost you
- Hi-Fi system on standby - £73 a year
- Sky box on standby - £73 a year
- Laptop charger not in use - £60 a year
- TV on standby- £10 to £24 a year
- Microwave - £16 a year
- Games consoles - £12 a year
- Computer - £11 a year
- Printer on standby - £3 to £10 a year
- Washing machine - £5 a year
- Phone charger - £1.60 to £2 a year
British Gas energy expert Marc Robson told the BBC an easy way to keep energy costs for vampire devices down is to plug them in to an extension lead and switching that off at night.
For the more tech-savvy, you can also buy 'smart plugs' that check if devices are turned off for you. You can monitor the smart plug from your mobile phone.
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