Households can save cash thanks to switching off vampire appliances, energy saving experts have explained amid the Cost of Living crisis.
British Gas, OVO, EDF, Octopus customers should switch off four appliances immediately - or risk losing £115. Households can save cash thanks to switching off vampire appliances, energy saving experts have explained amid the Cost of Living crisis.
According to Energy Saving Trust, a household could typically save £60-£70 a year just by switching off 'vampire devices'. "Standby power is the electricity used by appliances when they’re switched off or on 'rest mode’," explains Chris Saunders, household energy expert and founder of LoopEnergySaver.com.
"Almost any product with an external power supply, or which charges batteries, will draw some power continuously unless shut down or switched off at the mains." The experts warned over smart speakers initially, saying: "These other smart features may make the device more convenient to use but won’t necessarily help you save energy."
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Brian Horne, technical knowledge lead at Energy Saving Trust, said: "Regular standby power limits don’t apply to these devices, and therefore the smart device might be using several times as much electricity in standby mode compared to a non-smart equivalent."
Turning these off could save £52. The second was set-top boxes because over the course of a year, each of these devices (and you may have a few) will each be adding around £23, according to forecasts by British Gas ahead of the energy price cap rise.
When it comes to TVs, only 60 per cent of us now leave it on standby, at a cost per box of around £24 a year in electricity. Microwaves, meanwhile, are adding £16 a year to our bills, the energy experts have gone to warn.
When added together, households could save £115. "It’s one of the main culprits for wasting energy on standby," says Chris, discussing TV sets and the need to shut them off. "If you have multiple television sets at home, this can add up quickly."
