Five common household appliances could be adding as much as £800 a year to energy bills, according to smart home specialist Tina Loveland. The warning comes as the energy price cap rose by 4% this week, with forecasts of a further 16% increase in January, pushing the average UK bill to nearly £2,000 a year.
Loveland, using current Ofgem electricity unit rates and typical UK usage data, identified the five biggest culprits often overlooked in standard energy-saving advice. While common tips focus on thermostats and lighting, these appliances quietly accumulate significant annual costs.
The Most Expensive Appliances to Run
The washer-dryer tops the list, costing up to £212 per year to run, according to Which?. Loveland explains that the drying cycle uses water to cool the drum, a less efficient process than a dedicated tumble dryer. For households with space, pairing a washing machine with a heat pump tumble dryer is usually cheaper in the long run.
A plug-in electric heater can add £135 per year, based on a standard 2kW fan heater running four hours each evening over a five-month winter. Loveland notes that while these heaters are cheap to buy, their running costs are considerable, and improving insulation is often a more effective fix.
Hidden Costs in the Home Office and Entertainment
Home office setups are another hidden drain, with a typical desktop PC running eight hours a day costing around £182 per year, according to analysis by C-Lec Electrical. A 27-inch monitor adds £18–£22 per screen, and peripherals left running contribute another £10–£15. Loveland recommends switching everything off at the wall at the end of the working day.
Games consoles, particularly the Xbox Series X, cost around £60.82 per year for three hours of daily use, according to Business Energy UK research from April 2025. Loveland highlights that consoles left in rest mode overnight draw power continuously, and switching to a lower power mode or turning them off at the wall can make a measurable difference.
Ageing Appliances and Additional Savings
An ageing fridge-freezer can cost more than £200 per year, according to Saga, with outdated models from the mid-1990s consuming over 1,000 kWh annually. Even appliances sold before the 2021 energy label changes can use 400–500 kWh per year, roughly double a modern replacement. Loveland suggests checking the energy label or using a plug-in energy monitor to reveal actual usage.
Loveland also notes that a second fridge or freezer in the garage, kept on out of habit, can add a further £80–£100 to annual bills. “The appliances with the highest running costs are often the ones that feel most normal to have on,” she says. “Because they've always been part of the routine, nobody questions them. That's exactly where the real savings tend to be hiding.”
