Save money by turning off these SEVEN money-sucking appliances

Virgin Radio

20 Oct 2021, 10:40

Do you leave electronics plugged in without even thinking about it? Think again. You can help yourself and your bank balance by making a few small changes to your daily routine that will save you hundreds of pounds a year with the flick of a finger.

These 'phantom loads' actually rinse us of power and pennies without us knowing even if we're not 'using' them.

With bills skyrocketing after the horror show of the pandemic, we could all do with cutting back on unnecessary wasted spending.

Will Owen, energy expert at Uswitch, told The Sun: “See if there are any appliances you can switch off when they are not in use.

"The Energy Saving Trust estimates you can save around £35 a year by remembering to turn your appliances off properly, and not leaving them in standby mode.” 

Here are the biggest culprits you need to turn off now...

Chargers

Unplug your phone charger once it's reached 100% battery - and don't charge it at night. According to Uswitch, an iPhone only costs £5 a year if you charge it once a day.

It will only take around two and a half hours to get to full battery, so there's no need for it to re-charge its battery while you're recharging yours all night.

TVs and computers

Don't leaving electronics on standby. A red light indicates that it's still using your power and wasting money.

Turn them off at the mains especially at night.

Lights

Turn off lights if you're not in the room and use a dimmer.

Mr Owen said: “You should also check if your bulbs are LEDs rather than less energy efficient ones, such as halogens.

"Every 50-watt halogen bulb that is swapped for an LED alternative saves households £3 a year. It may not seem like much, but it all adds up over every light in your home."

Heating

Avoid using the heating at various points during the day and check what temperature you set it to.

Michael Reading from Housetastic told The Sun: "Set a timer early in the morning so your home is nice and warm as you get ready for the day, and perhaps set a timer in the early evening, but generally the heating does not need to be on all day.”

He continued: "It is estimated that turning the thermostat down by just one degree can save up to 10% on a fuel bill, not to mention the amount of energy.”

Dripping taps

Get them sorted. They could add £490 onto your gas bill according to TapWarehouse and can use over 450 litres a day, or 175,000 a year.

Dishwasher

Turn off the 'heated drying system' and make sure it's turned off to the save cycle for minimal energy usage.

Air conditioning

Summer's gone, but if you use air conditioning, swap it for fans instead. Octopus energy told The Sun that it would cost roughly 9p to run a fan for eight hours in comparison to around 44p per hour to run the AC.

If only it were hot enough to need it.