How to cut your energy bills as Brits waste hundreds of millions of pounds each year
BRITS are wasting hundreds of millions of pounds by leaving appliances switched on overnight.
On average, Brits have 10 unused items plugged in and switched on at any one time according to energy supplier Utilita.
Three in 10 even have electrical gadgets on standby despite not using them in more than a year.
Leaving a TV on standby can waste up to £16 of electricity over a year.
This means UK households are wasting £432 million on unnecessary energy every year by leaving the set on standby.
Utilita has also revealed in a report that leaving a kettle switched on at the wall adds £4.87 to an end-of-year energy bill.
How much money Brits waste on unused electrical appliances
BRITS waste hundreds of millions of pounds on powering unused electrical appliances, according to Utilita.
Here's how much money Brits waste each year by powering each electrical item on standby, according to the energy supplier:
- Xbox - £16.24
- Playstation - £16.24
- TV - £16.24
- Printer / scanner - £6.50
- Baby monitor - £4.87
- Kettle - £4.87
- Dishwasher - £4.87
- Laptop - £4.87
- Stereo system - £4.87
- Smart speaker - £3.25
- DAB radio - £3.25
- Fan assisted oven - £3.25
- Hair straighteners - £1.62
- Coffee machine - £1.62
- Microwave - £1.62
- Mobile phone charger - £0.32
Even the microwave will use juice worth £1.62 before it’s even started heating something up.
Households that have a printer, an item that is commonly left on, are wasting around £6.50 in electricity every year, even if it’s never used.
Mobile phone chargers left in at the wall – even when they aren’t charging - will use 32p each of energy annually – which can add up quickly for a multiple phone household.
A third (31%) of Brits put their phone on charge overnight, even if it has 50 per cent battery or more, meaning they are paying for seven hours of unnecessary energy every night.
How to save on your energy bills
SWITCHING energy providers can sound like a hassle - but fortunately it's pretty straight forward to change supplier - and save lots of cash.
Shop around - If you're on an SVT deal you are likely throwing away around £300 a year. Use a comparion site such as MoneySuperMarket.com, uSwitch or EnergyHelpline.com to see what deals are available to you.
The cheapest deals are usually found online and are fixed deals - meaning you'll pay a fixed amount usually for 12 months.
Switch - When you've found one, all you have to do is contact the new supplier.
It helps to have the following information - which you can find on your bill - to hand to give the new supplier.
- Your postcode
- Name of your existing supplier
- Name of your existing deal and how much you pay
- An up-to-date meter reading
It will then notify your current supplier and begin the switch.
It should take no longer than three weeks to complete the switch and your supply won't be interrupted in that time.
One in five have no idea that if an electrical item is plugged in, but not being used, it still uses energy.
Utilita’s spokesman added: “Whatever our reasons for using less energy, it’s essential that we all do.
“If helping to conserve dwindling resources is a by-product of saving a bit of money, then that’s a win-win for us all, and for future generations."
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