A MONEY-saving expert has revealed which appliances use the most power when they’re switched off.
It comes as households are set for a huge hit to their cost of living of up to £1,300 this year, according to the latest UK economic outlook.
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And the energy price cap rose by a massive 54 per cent in April – meaning many Brits will this year be scrimping and saving to keep afloat.
Now, Natalia Lachim from Discount Code has revealed what appliances Brits should unplug rather than leaving them on standby.
Although fridges and freezers can obviously not be unplugged every night – Natalia still has some tips to cut their running costs, reports The Mirror.
He said: “As a fridge/freezer needs to constantly be on, it is unsurprising that over 12 per cent of the entire household’s energy comes from the fridge/freezer alone, costing households around £114.24 per year.
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“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.
“Dusting the exterior means dust won’t get into the system and affect how it works and cleaning the interior and disposing of any out-of-date food means the fridge doesn’t need to work as hard to keep food cool/frozen.”
TVs are one of Britain’s household biggest energy drain – with as many as 98 per cent of UK households leave their sets on standby at all times.
Natalia explained: “Many wrongly assume that turning off via the remote switches it off entirely – however this isn’t 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.”
Meanwhile, kettles use around 0.3kWh when left plugged in, which adds up to £30.66 a year.
And leaving a phone charger switched on adds around a whopping £20 to your annual bill.
