HOUSEHOLDS should beware of the seven vampire appliances sucking energy and upping your bills all while not in use.
Experts warn that leaving everyday items on standby could be adding hundreds to your energy bills unnecessarily.
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These common so-called ‘vampire’ devices include microwaves, TVs and game consoles.
Putting your heating on will be a priority as snow continues to blanket the country and chilly conditions remain on the cards – so it’s important to cut your energy bills in other areas.
Most will not make a vast difference to a household bill but some could cost users hundreds of pounds per year.
Between 9% and 16% of all the electricity consumed in every household is used to power appliances while in standby mode, according to Energy Saving Trust.
The easiest way to stop these gadgets from leaching money from your pocket is to avoid standby mode where possible.
And turning off your devices at the switch may seem time-consuming but it could save you considerable amounts in the long term.
Here are some of the common appliances or gadgets that could be taking a bite out of your energy bills and how much it costs to keep them switched on.
TV
It can be easy to forget to switch off the telly in the evening.
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But it can mean that its eating up 19% of your total electricity bill.
Experts warn that leaving everyday items like this on – known as the “vampire” or “phantom” load – could be adding as much as £500 a year to your energy bills unnecessarily.
A TV is one of the most energy-hungry devices in the house when left on standby.
The average television uses 40 watts of energy when it’s being used and 10 watts when it’s sitting in standby mode.
And more than 60% of households leave their TV on standby for an average of 20 hours every day, according to research by British Gas.
Making sure you turn it off could save you £24.61 a year.
Set-top-box
Your Sky box could be pushing your bills up your bills if you choose to leave it on standby overnight.
And it’s estimated that households pay £23 a year alone to keep their box on standby, according to British Gas.
But beware that if you do turn off your device at the switch, it won’t record any shows while it’s turned off.
Games consoles
Your Xbox and Playstation use 130 and 120 watts respectively when they’re in use.
But these consoles still eat up 10 watts when they’re on standby.
It’s estimated that households can save an average of £12.17 per year by switching off their game consoles when not in use.
Computers
Keeping your computer switched on or on standby could be wasting money.
Loop estimates that failing to turn your computer off could cost you an extra £95 a year.
Other costly devices
Other devices that drain energy while plugged in include:
- Hi-Fi systems – £142.50 a year
- Printers – £19.50 a year
- WiFi router – £18.89 a year
- Microwave – £16.37 a year
Turning gadgets off at the mains can help fight these stealthy costs.
