Appliances left on cost up to £526 a year

TYPICAL UK homes are using between 1p and 6p per hour of electricity, costing up to £526 a year – even when there is
nobody in the house.

A report from All About Money found that always-on appliances, chargers, gadgets on standby, clocks and other items can add hundreds of pounds to annual energy bills.

“It’s a curse of western society that many of us don’t realise the more things we plug in, the more it’s likely to cost over time – even when we’re not actually using some of those items,” said spokesman Ian Williams.

The financial firm compiled a list of top household appliances which are draining energy from a home unnecessarily.

Two TVs on standby

Turning TVs off using standby doesn’t save electricity. Is it really that arduous to have to stand up and press a switch on the TV when you want to watch your favourite programme?

Handheld drill on charge

A drill is an occasional use product which may need to be charged before use, but should be put away immediately afterwards – it is not the kind of item that needs to be always ready. There is unlikely to be an imminent drill emergency in the home.

Four mobile phones on charge

Constantly charging mobile phones isn’t only a waste of power, but can actually damage them and reduce their battery life. Try unplugging them once the battery indicator reaches 100 per cent.

One laptop on charge, one Kindle and one iPad

Ditto laptops, iPads etc. While it may be tempting to have them constantly plugged in, it is actually better for them if they are not.

Three electric toothbrushes on charge

As the typical electric toothbrush lasts more than a couple of days on full charge, it isn’t necessary to have the entire family’s toothbrushes plugged in at all times. Try plugging in only one charger and alternating the toothbrushes every night.