WITH the cold winter season lurking around the corner, many households are on the lookout for ways to cut down their energy use and bills.
As the cost-of-living crisis is still soaring and affecting millions of cash-strapped Britons, one expert has listed the eight ”vampire appliances” that are draining your power – and wallet.
That’s right, saving money could be as easy as simply making sure you switch off any unnecessary electrical devices in your home.
Although this change takes just seconds to do, not only will unplugging the eight appliances will slash your monthly bills but also have a positive impact on the environment.
Like the name suggests, ”vampire” devices are still ”guzzling up your energy” – even when not in use, Daily Star reported.
Whether that’s our kettles or phone charges, most of are guilty of leaving a number of appliances plugged in – but a professional has warned to ”never leave” them ”on standby”.
Chatting to The Express, appliance expert Ian Palmer-Smith from Domestic and General said: “Some think that simply turning them off is sufficient, but there are many electrical products that continue to use power when left plugged in – these are often called ‘vampire devices’.”
The guru also dropped some knowledge bombs on the “most common vampire devices”, which include washing machines, dishwashers, tumble dryers, TVs and microwaves.
Just like the above, the expert warned that computer monitors, printers and coffee machines also are energy-sucking ”vampires” too.
Ian noted: “Appliances that need to heat water use a lot of energy – which is why dishwashers, washing machines and kettles score so highly on energy consumption.
“They use more energy than others on standby as they need to be ready to heat water instantly, on demand.”
After one cash-savvy social media user, only known as @motherk.earth, posted a video listing the devices, many people were totally shocked.
One gobsmacked viewer confessed: “I didn’t know about this. Will surely do this.”
Another chimed in, saying: “Thanks for this tip.”
And a third simply added: “Yes!”
1. Draught-proof your home
It takes time and money to heat up your home, so it’s important that you do as much as you can to keep in the warmth. Close your doors and windows, and fill any gaps with a draught excluder.
2. Dial down your thermostat
According to Energy UK, turning down your thermostat by just one degree Celsius could cut your heating bill by up to 10%, and save you around £85 per year. Plus, if you don’t have a thermostat, installing one could save up to £70 per year!
3. Move furniture around
Make sure not big, bulky furniture like sofas are blocking radiators.
4. Wash clothes on a lower temp and add an extra spin
Unless it’s bedding, towels or really dirty items, dial down the temperature to 20 or 30 degrees, and do a double spin to remove excess water.
5. Heat the person not the home
There’s not point heating up a room that no one is sitting in, so be mindful about which radiators are on.
To stop these power-hungry devices from draining your bank account, the expert’s advice is clear – pull the plug.
Any appliance that’s still switched on or that continues to be plugged into a live socket, is using an electric current.
This comes after it was revealed that millions will be stung by a hefty £149 hike to energy bills when Ofgem’s new price cap comes into force in weeks.
On October 1, around 29million bill payers on their supplier’s standard variable tariff will see their bills rise from £1,568 a year to £1,717 a year.
The regulator’s energy price cap changes every three months, setting a ceiling on what suppliers can charge households on default or variable tariffs.
