All of the home appliances that you leave plugged in, even when not in use, are slowly consuming electricity, according to the experts a Green Match. Given that energy bills have risen for millions of households since April 1, many will be looking for ways to cut costs, and looking at your home appliances is a good place to start.
The annual bill for a household using a typical amount of gas and electricity rose to £1,849 per year, an increase of £111. The energy price cap sets the maximum amount customers can be charged for each unit of energy, but actual bills depend on how much gas and electricity you use. Green Match experts have shared three of the “worst appliances” that, when in standby mode, still consume electricity just because they’re still plugged into an outlet.
Standby mode is supposed to be for when the appliance will be used actively again in just a moment. Instead, “many electronics stay on in standby mode, wasting energy through unnecessary power consumption needlessly”.
They added: “Fighting these vampire devices is important because living costs continue to rise due to all-time high energy bill costs. Eliminating unnecessary energy use can save the average household £147 on their annual energy bills.
The key to getting rid of vampire devices is knowing your electricity usage, how much electricity common household appliances consume and when to “never plug them in”.
1. Game consoles
Newer models of game consoles are much more powerful than they used to be and can now use 0.2kW. So the next time a couple of hours pass you by while playing, just know that it costs around 5p for every hour to power it.
While that may not seem like much, you’re also spending money when you’re not playing. In a year, you can save as much as £23.82 just by taking your game console out of standby mode by unplugging the power cord.
Game consoles only need to be left on when in use, so make sure they’re switched off, particularly overnight, to save both money and energy.
2. Internet modems
The office is a room that’s a culprit for both small appliances and medium-sized devices wasting energy on standby.
Small network equipment like modems doesn’t require much electricity, but this home energy vampire is typically always on and uses energy even when you’re asleep, not home, or on holiday.
On average, if you have a 10W modem, you’re spending 6p a day for constant wifi access, and in a year, that adds up to £16.52.
3. Desktop computer
A desktop PC uses 450W of energy per hour when actively used. This compares to 5.4W when on standby or sleep mode.
By turning your computer fully off instead of in sleep mode when you’re not using it, you could be saving £11.58 each year.
