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Helen Rolph, price comparison expert at Quotezone.co.uk, said: “You might have hidden vampire appliances in your home, sucking up almost a quarter of your energy consumption and pushing up bills.
“Leaving appliances on standby means that they’ll still be draining power even when you’re not using them.
“The simple way you can reduce your energy usage and save money is to eliminate vampire appliances and avoid unnecessary electricity use.
“Our most recent survey shows 70 percent of UK households feel overcharged for their energy, so we need to do what we can to switch off and save.
“We’ve done some research and compiled a list to help people identify which energy-draining appliances to switch off and start clawing back money.”
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1. Games console
Besides the running costs, leaving a games console on standby for a whole year can cost households a lot of money.
Modern gaming consoles are much more powerful than they used to be, meaning they consume a lot more energy because they are connected to the internet even when in standby mode.
2. Desktop computer
With people working from home more often and using computers for most of the day, leaving them on standby should be avoided.
According to the experts, using computers will already add a considerable sum to electricity bills so make sure to turn them completely off if possible.
3. Laptop
The experts explained: “The annual standby cost of laptops is £10.41. The good thing with laptops is that you can unplug them as soon as they’ve got enough charge instead of letting them eat up power all day.
“Note laptops still use electricity if they are fully charged and turned off, bleeding needless energy, perhaps it is best to unplug completely, especially overnight. “
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4. Smart speakers
Smart speakers consume 3W per hour on standby, according to the experts which can add up over a year.
People usually only use smart speakers for a few hours per day and if they’re plugged in and on standby over the year they could add up to £10 onto electricity bills.
5. Dishwasher
The pros said: “Dishwashers use the same amount of standby energy per hour as smart speakers, with an annual cost of £7.44. If you’re doing multiple loads a day then you may not want to leave it on standby but it’s still worth switching it off for the night.”
6. Washing machine
While a washing machine on standby will cost less than 1p per hour, this can add up over the year.
According to the experts, with the same amount of money, households can run two 3W LED bulbs for an entire year for eight hours a day.
7. Microwave
A lot of households leave their microwaves on all the time, even when they only use them for a few minutes per day.
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They already have a high daily cost but if they’re also never switched off, they can cost families a further £6 a year.
While that doesn’t seem like a big number, added together with all of the other standby appliances can add up to a considerable amount.
8. TV
The experts continued: “The annual standby cost for a TV is £5.70 but it’ll be even more expensive if you have a set-top box. TVs are already one of the energy-hungriest devices so make sure to switch them off when they’re not in use to cut back on costs.”
9. Printer
Printers don’t usually find a lot of everyday use for average households, but a lot of them are left on standby mode for lengthy periods.
Make sure to completely turn them off when not in use to save further on energy bills.
10. Tumble dryer
The pros noted: “Tumble dryers are one of the highest energy-consuming appliances, costing you £1.20 per cycle. Just like washing machines, leaving tumble dryers on standby will add another unnecessary £6.45 to your annual bills.”
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