Surprising reason your energy bills could soar by £270 in the heatwave

SUMMER has finally arrived in the UK with temperatures set to soar to 30 degrees or more in some parts of the country this week.

That’s hotter than some holiday destinations like the Canary Islands, Cyprus, Portugal, Jamaica and Costa Rica.

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But if you think hot weather means cooler energy bills you could be in for a shock. Experts warn your bills could even rise with the mercury.

You could be spending as much as £270 extra a month on devices to keep cool, according to new data from Loop, a smart meter app.

It’s costing you more to run gadgets like fans and air con units compared to last year because energy prices have gone up.

The firm calculates this could be adding up to £9 a day more to your energy bill, if you were using them all.

That means it’s more important than ever to understand how much energy you’re using and if you can cut back to save cash.

Steve Buckley, head of data science at Loop, said: “As we see the first patch of warm weather, many of us will be looking for ways to stay cool, but it’s important to consider how much some of this equipment could be adding to your bills.  

“At first glance, these costs may not seem that high on an hourly basis, but they can really add up if you’ve got a few devices running or you forget to switch them off.” 

Here are the common devices you are using around the home this summer that could be adding to your energy bill.

Of course, the exact cost depends on the model of you have, how long or often you use it, the energy it uses and how much you pay for your energy.

Our calculations are based on a unit cost of 28.3p, the current price cap for standard variable tariffs, and typical usage estimated by Loop.

Air conditioning units

During the warmer months, if you have an air conditioning unit installed, you may be tempted to have it running through the day.

Over an eight hour period it would cost £4.98, Loop estimates, adding up to £151.47 over a month.

An air conditioning unit is among the priciest devices you can use in the summer as they tend to use a lot of power.

They can cost as much as 33 times more than a 65w cooling device and 51 times more than a 40w fan.

Save money by using a fan or opening windows instead if possible.

Air cooler

If you don’t have an air conditioning unit, you may be using an air cooler instead.

A 65 W air cooler, with no thermostat, is estimated to cost 14p a day to run, meaning over a period of a month it would cost you £4.47.

It’s not as costly as air-con, but it’s not far off.

Mini fridges

We all love a cool drink in the hot weather but it could raise the costs of your energy bills.

It costs around 3p an hour to run a mini fridge, but over a month that adds up to £8.25.

So think twice before plugging in a second fridge for your garden party.

Fans

A 40w electric fan is one of the most commonly used devices in the summer, especially overnight to stay cool while you sleep.

We’ve previously looked at how much it costs to leave a fan on overnight, and it’s not cheap.

It’s estimated that it would add up to £2.92 if you used one single fan overnight for a month.

Garden heaters

It’s not just inside your home that costs could be racking up either, or the hot weather alone.

Loop estimates you could be spending as much as £50 if you use an outdoor garden or patio heater when nights get chillier.

That’s based on using a 1500w garden heater for four hours at a cost of £3.40.

Over a month, that adds up to £103.41, though that would be using it everyday.

To ensure your bill doesn’t rocket, make sure you turn off the garden heater after use.

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This post first appeared on thesun.co.uk