The eight cheapest appliances to run in your home revealed – how to cut costs

EVEN if you’ve already switched off the biggest energy-guzzling appliances in your home, you can make still make further savings.

Bills, food and petrol costs are all rising for households across the UK as millions grapple a brutal cost of living crisis.

1

Finding ways to save money and cut back on unnecessary costs has never been more important.

We recently revealed the most expensive appliances to use in your home – but what about the cheapest?

You might think the least energy-intensive devices around the house aren’t worth a second thought, but you can still cut your costs with some simple tips.

1. Hair dryer

Coming in hot at number one, hair dryers are the cheapest household appliance to use.

Assuming an average usage of five minutes a day, four times a week, the average hair dryer costs just 48p a month to use, according to MoneyTransfers.com.

But one useful tip which could help you save some pennies is to use a lower heat setting.

The higher the heat, you more energy you’ll burn – plus, using a cooler setting might also help keep you cool in the summer heat as well.

2. LED light bulbs

Energy-efficient LED lightbulbs, unsurprisingly, come in at a close second. That’s if you use them for four hours a day.

Cheaper than using standard bulbs, The Energy Saving Trusts reckons you can save £2 to £3 per bulb per year by using more efficient versions.

But using controls such as timers, dimmers and motion-activated sensor can cut your usage further – don’t forget to switch up your timer settings when the evenings are lighter through the summer months too.

3. Hair straighteners

Racking up a costs of just 69p a month, based on five minutes of use four times a week, hair straighteners are another cheaper appliance to put to work.

As with hairdryers, you use less energy on a lower heat setting – and it could damage your hair less too.

Make sure you turn off your hair straighteners after use as well, not only to save on your bills, but for fire safety.

4. Toaster

The humble toaster will cost you £1.10 based on an hour of usage per week, which you may not even do anyway – after all, that’s a lot of toast!

But you might not know your toaster still consumes energy even while not in use, so unplug it where you can.

We’ve previously looked at the worst devices to leave on standby – so you might want to check if there’s anything else around the house worth switching off.

5. Lawn mower

The champion of the garden, using your lawn mower will cost you £1.22 a month, if you use it for one hour per week.

But many gardeners are now choosing to let their lawns grow longer in a bid to encourage bees and other insects in – a process known as rewilding.

So you could try reducing your energy usage and helping the environment at the same time.

6. Microwave

The trusty microwave will cost you just £1.51 a month if you use it 10 minutes per day.

According to the latest figures from Statista, 93% of British households owned a microwave in 2018 as well – so plenty will get to save money if they reduce their usage.

Microwaves are another household device that saps energy even when not in use.

According to The Economist, a typical microwave consumes more electricity powering its digital clock than it does heating food as well, so extra reason to turn it off.

But we have previously looked at how they’re a much cheaper way to cook than using the oven.

7. Vacuum cleaner

The old faithful, your typical vacuum cleaner will cost you around £1.70 a month, assuming you use it for one hour a week.

Here’s a top tip though – your vacuum will have to use more power to pick up dirt if its components are all clogged up.

So make sure you empty and clean it out regularly.

8. Laptop

Even the most expensive item on the list, your typical laptop, costs just £2.31 per month to run, provided it’s plugged in for five hours a day.

That’s good news to anyone who works from home or is a serial Netflix streamer.

But one way to save energy and prolong the laptop’s life as well is to unplug the device when it’s finished charging and use up its battery instead.

Jonathan Merry, chief executive of MoneyTransfers.com, said: “For many, getting bills down is a key concern right now as inflation hits all-time high.

“So this data may give some peace of mind that not every appliance you own is draining the energy from your home.”

This post first appeared on thesun.co.uk