UK household could save £147 a year in electricity bills by not leaving so-called "vampire devices" on standby, according to a report from British Gas.
Their research has revealed households in the UK are shelling out £3.16 billion each year just through devices that are left on standby.
It equals out to around £147 per household per year.
British Gas says its figures are in line with figures from the EST (Energy Saving Trust) in terms of the percentage of electricity used by "vampire devices".
As reported by BBC News, according to the EST, between 9% and 16% of electricity consumed in homes is used to power appliances when they are in standby mode.
British Gas has compiled a list of devices and how much they cost to keep on standby per year, which includes:
- Modem/internet router - £18.89
- Microwave - £16.37
- Games Console - £12.17
- Computer - £11.22
- Shower - £9.80
- Smart speakers/smart home devices - £8.94
- Dishwasher - £6.86
- Tumble dryer - £4.79
- Washing machine - £4.73
- Printer - £3.81
- Mobile device charger - £1.26
Brian Horn, Senior Insight and Analytics consultant at the EST, said there were practical things consumers could do to reduce this cost.
He said: "If something doesn't need to be on, then you should switch it off at the wall or unplug it. Everything else, just try and make it as easy as possible to turn it off.
"If you make sure that the plug is accessible if you can just switch it off, so you don't need to unplug it.
"But if you've got a whole bunch of things plugged in behind your television, you maybe want to plug them all into one extension lead."
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel