Households are being urged to unplug kettles and other appliances as the energy price cap increase takes effect on Thursday, October 1. Energy experts at Electric Radiators Direct warn that devices left on standby could be adding as much as 8% to annual energy bills.
The price cap increase will push the average annual energy bill for households in England, Scotland and Wales paying by direct debit for gas and electricity to £1,723. This represents an increase of £5 per month, or £60 annually if sustained over a full 12 months.
Vampire devices drain £140 a year
According to the experts, combining the standby cost of all common devices could mean households unnecessarily spend an extra £140 on energy each year. Stephen Hankinson from Electric Radiators Direct explained: "Putting something into standby mode is not the same as totally switching off a device or unplugging it. You're only really putting the device to sleep."
"This means that it will be drawing out some electricity in the background, which is where the phrase 'vampire device' comes from," he added.
Most expensive devices to leave on standby
The study calculated which devices drain the most energy when left plugged in. Kettles left plugged in can add around £5.80 to annual energy bills. However, some devices make even bigger dents in energy costs.
- Games console: £34.58
- Gaming PC: £22.36
- Desktop computer: £19.37
- TV: £14.53
- Speaker/Digital radio: £10.14
- Oven: £8.30
- Kettle: £5.30
- Microwave: £5.07
- Air fryer: £4.15
- Slow cooker: £4.15
Standby devices are costing almost £12 per month, the study found.
Simple switch-off saves money
Hankinson said: "It sounds so simple, but switching your appliances off at the wall really is the best way to ensure you're not spending your hard-earned income on keeping things in standby mode."
He added: "The cost of a couple of coffees might not concern you, however, £140 is a big food shop, two tanks of petrol or even a nice meal out. There really are many better ways to use this money than giving it to the energy companies."
Hankinson offered one exception: "Pro tip: the one device we recommend not to turn off is the fridge freezer, unless you want to come home to spoiled goods."
