WINTER is right around the corner, so it’s a good time to check your energy-draining summer devices.
Switching off appliances around your home is one of the easiest ways to cut energy costs.
And September usually marks a turning point in the weather as temperatures start to fall and the evenings get darker.
Plus, households across the country are set to face higher energy bills from October 1 when the energy price cap rises from the current rate of £1,568 a year to £1,717.
This means the average household paying by direct debt for dual fuel (electricity and gas) will see their annual bill go up by £149, or around £12 a month – a 10% increase.
It means you can turn off gadgets that you keep on over summer, some of which you may have forgotten about.
We spoke to Nicholas Aukland, an energy and heating expert at Trade radiators, to find out how a quick check and reaching for the off switch could save you serious cash.
The exact savings could vary depending on a number of factors, such as your energy tariff and the exact model of each device you have.
As temperatures rise, you should find that you’re relying on your air conditioning less and less.
Nicholas said that air-con units are one of the most energy consuming devices a home can have.
Even if your unit doubles as heating, he said it’s better to switch to electric heaters or gas central heating as they are generally cheaper to run.
Nicholas said: “Air conditioning units vary in wattage usage, but the majority use 1-2 kWh per hour of operation.”
This means that having it fully switched off for four hours could save up to £1.47.
Over a eight hour period, this doubles to £2.94.
While this sounds small, this can add up to £91.14 over the period of a month.
He added that making sure they are fully turned off at the mains will stop them from using even more energy.
Fans are a great way to keep cool in the summer, and are generally cheap to buy.
However, Nicholas said that fans can eat away at your energy bill without you noticing.
A 75 watt fan can cost a total of £4.65 a month if it’s regularly left on for eight hours a day, he said.
He added: “Fans are helpful in summer, but in winter it is more energy efficient to keep cool by opening a window.”
You may have gotten into the habit of jumping into your hot tub in summer, but they are used less frequently in the winter.
This means that keeping them on when they don’t need can cost you a lot of unnecessary cash.
Hot tubs use around 1.5-2.5 kWh to maintain their warm temperature, Nicholas said.
“Having one on for eight hours a day can cost up to £4.90.
“For a 31 day month, this would cost £151.90 if it’s on for eight hours a day.”
Garden water features are great additions to outdoor spaces, however they become less important as we spend less time in our gardens over winter.
Nicholas said that many people will have their garden features running 24 hours a day, costing around 30p.
This can add up to a whopping £9.30 a month.
He added: “You should also turn off all appliances at the plug when they’re not being used, as standby still uses power and therefore costs.”
Stand by mode is a secret killer when it comes to energy wastage and games consoles are some of the biggest perpetrators.
“Game consoles tend to use up to 10 watts when in standby mode, so roughly £1.86 per month,” Nicholas said.
In better news, televisions use less energy overall and a TV using two watts in standby mode would cost just 1p a day.
Nicholas added: “You could be adding up to £60 on your energy bills every year just by having the devices in standby.”
Meanwhile, we look at four common bill saving tips to avoid as they won’t actually save you any money.
Plus, we reveal seven “demon” appliances you need to switch off now.
BELOW we reveal how you can calculate your own energy bill.
To calculate how much you pay for your energy bill, you must find out your unit rate for gas and electricity and the standing charge for each fuel type.
The unit rate will usually be shown on your bill in p/kWh.The standing charge is a daily charge that is paid 365 days of the year – irrespective of whether or not you use any gas or electricity.
You will then need to note down your own annual energy usage from a previous bill.
Once you have these details, you can work out your gas and electricity costs separately.
Multiply your usage in kWh by the unit rate cost in p/kWh for the corresponding fuel type – this will give you your usage costs.
You’ll then need to multiply each standing charge by 365 and add this figure to the totals for your usage – this will then give you your annual costs.
Divide this figure by 12, and you’ll be able to determine how much you should expect to pay each month from April 1.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk.
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