Five ways to reduce costs of running your household appliances to save on energy bills

ENERGY bills burn huge holes in our household budgets at this time of year.

But with a few tricks you can dial down the annual costs of running appliances around the home.

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Here’s what you need to know.

MODE FOR IT: Don’t default to washing machine or dishwasher cycles that run for longer than needed at hotter temperatures.

Try the eco mode on your appliance instead.

And don’t run half-full loads.

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Washing at 30C and reducing a laundry load by one each week can save £29 a year, says the Energy Saving Trust (EST).

SWITCH OFF: Keeping televisions, computers and games consoles on standby adds up to £55 a year to bills.

So turn off at the plug or consider smart plugs which use a timer to switch off appliances.

BOILING POINT: Kettles are one of the most-used appliances which is why it’s important not to overfill.

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The EST reckons you can cut £11 a year of your energy bills filling the kettle with just the water you need.

COOL IDEAS: Adjust the temperature on your fridge and freezer to five degrees and -18 respectively, as recommended by the Food Standards Agency.

If your appliance is set colder than this, it costs more to run.

You can also increase the efficiency of your fridge or freezer by keeping it well stocked.

DO THE MATH: There’s an easy method for working out roughly how much each appliance in your home costs to run — presuming you have a calculator on your phone.

Plus, you can use the same formula when shopping for new items to find more energy-efficient models.

First, find the appliance’s wattage, usually on a label on the back or bottom of the item.

Then divide it by 1,000 and multiply by the unit cost of electricity per hour, the average is around 29p.

For example, a 2,470W air fryer works out at roughly 71.63p an hour (2.47 x 29).

• All prices on page correct at time of going to press. Deals and offers subject to availability.

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