A money-saving expert has explained which appliances are the biggest drain on your finances, and how turning them off completely could save you money.
The cost of living crisis is hitting people in the UK hard, with soaring energy bills being a particular problem. On April 1, the energy price cap rose by 54% – and the same rise, or more, is expected to occur in six months.
So while people across the country are desperate for ways to get more out of their money, expert Natalia Lachim has given a guide on how best to use some of the machines many of us have at home. .
Read more: Martin Lewis gives 10 tips for surviving the cost of living crisis as energy bills soar
Natalia from the Discount Code website explained which appliances use the most power when not in use – so you can unplug anything that doesn’t need to be left on. Although his first tip is about something we can’t turn off.
First, Natalia turned her attention to the refrigerator. She said: “As a fridge/freezer needs to be on all the time, it’s no surprise that more than 12% of the energy for the whole household comes from the fridge/freezer alone, costing households around £114.24 per year.
(Image: Bethan Shufflebotham/MEN)
“Obviously a fridge/freezer can’t just be switched off when not in use, there are ways to ensure it is running as efficiently as possible, meaning you will pay the minimum necessary.
“Regular cleaning of the refrigerator, both externally and internally, is the easiest way to ensure that it runs smoothly.
“Dusting the outside means dust won’t get into the system and affect its operation. Cleaning the inside and removing any stale food means the fridge doesn’t need to be cleaned. work just as hard to keep food fresh/frozen.
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She went on to say that the TV is a big power consumer and up to 98% of UK households leave their devices on standby at all times. Natalia said it was a huge drain on power, and it’s even worse if you’re a gamer.
She continued: “Many mistakenly assume that turning it off via the remote turns it off completely – but that’s not always the case. Leaving the TV plugged in and on consumes 1.3kWh. As the average cost of the Electricity is now £0.28 per unit, this can add £132.86 per year to your bill.
“Games consoles tend to be left on and plugged in as much as televisions and are often overlooked. Just making sure they are completely switched off can save £4.20 a day because when a games console typical is left on standby, it uses 15 kWh per hour.”
She said your kettle uses around 0.3kWh when plugged in, which is £30.66 a year, and leaving a phone charger on adds around £20 to your annual bill.