Beat the ‘energy vampires’: Tips to reduce electricity usage – The Money Pages

The energy price hikes mean we are all looking for as many ways as possible to reduce our energy use and, in turn, cut those spiralling bills.

Natalia Lachim from Discount Code explains why leaving appliances switched on even on standby can increase your energy bills and reveals the biggest so-called energy vampires which are costing you the most money.

As a fridge/freezer needs to constantly be on, it is unsurprising that over 12% of the entire households energy comes from these appliances alone, costing households around 114.24 per year.

Obviously, a fridge/freezer cannot simply be turned off when not in use, there are ways to ensure it works as efficiently as possible, meaning you will pay the minimum necessary.

Regular cleaning of the fridge, both external and internal cleaning, is the simplest way to ensure it runs efficiently.

Cleaning the exterior means dust wont get into the system and affect how it works and running a cloth over the interior and disposing of any out of date food means the fridge doesnt need to work as hard to keep food cool/frozen.

A 2021 study revealed 98% of UK households admit to leaving their TV on standby at all times, with many people wrongly assuming that turning off via the remote switches it off entirely however this isnt always the case.

Leaving the TV plugged in and switched on uses 1.3kWh. As the average cost of electricity is now 0.28 per unit, this can add 132.86 a year to your bill.

Games consoles tend to be left switched on and plugged in as much as TVs and are often overlooked.

Simply ensuring it is turned off completely can save 4.20 each day, as when a typical games console is left on standby it uses a hefty 15kWh per hour.

A kettle isnt the worst culprit for being an energy drainer, however, it will add an unnecessary amount to your bill.

Leaving an average kettle plugged in and switched on when not in use uses around 0.3kWh. Of course, this figure isnt enormous, but it still adds 30.66 to your annual bill.

Many of us used the pandemic and numerous lockdowns to get fitter and invest in exercise equipment, with searches for treadmills seeing a 282.86% increase in 2020 and 2021.

Whether or not weve kept to our fitness habits is another story, however, if sports equipment is left plugged in then it can be costly. An average exercise bike uses 7kWh when left on standby which will add just under 20 to your annual bill.

For ease, many of us leave our chargers plugged in and ready to charge up our devices as soon as we need them, and it is a wrong assumption that the charger only will cost money if a device is actually plugged in.

While leaving an empty charger plugged in might be the most expensive, it is adding around 20 to your annual bill.

Invested in a SAD lamp this winter? Or perhaps you were once let down by your phones alarm so prefer to rely on an old-fashioned alarm clock? Whatever the reason, alarm clocks are convenient but will add to your energy bill.

If your alarm clock is mains operated and is plugged in all the time, a standard digital alarm clock uses 3kWh, so when left on 24 hours a day, uses around 7.36 per year.

Although this may not seem too expensive, to make further savings, you could consider turning off your clock when not in use and simply reset the time and your alarm before going to bed.

If you leave an appliance plugged in and switched on, even if you are not actively using the product, it will drain electricity. This is because electricity will be able to run through, thus increasing your energy use and, unfortunately, your energy bills.

To reduce the amount of energy used and the cost of energy prices, simply switching off the mains means the electrical current is unable to flow through.

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Beat the 'energy vampires': Tips to reduce electricity usage - The Money Pages