A top money-saving expert has explained which household appliances are the biggest drain on your finances, and how turning them off completely could save you cash.
The cost-of-living crisis is hitting people hard around the UK with surging energy bills a particular issue. On April 1, the energy price cap rose 54% - and the same rise, or higher, is likely to hit in six months time.
So, with people around the country desperate to find ways to squeeze more from their money, expert Natalia Lachim has given a guide to how best to use some of the machines many of us have at home.
Read more: Martin Lewis provides 10 tips to survive the cost of living crisis, as energy bills soar
Natalia, of the website Discount Code explained which appliances use the most power when they are not in use - so you can unplug anything that doesn't need to be left on. Although her first tip is about something we can't turn off.
First off, Natalia turned her attention to the fridge. She said: "As a fridge/freezer needs to constantly be on, it is unsurprising that over 12 per cent of the entire household’s energy comes from the fridge/freezer alone, costing households around £114.24 per year.
"Obviously, a fridge/freezer cannot simply be turned off when not in use, there are ways to ensure it works as efficiently as possible, meaning you will pay the minimum necessary.
"Regular cleaning of the fridge, both external and internal cleaning, is the simplest way to ensure it runs efficiently.
"Dusting the exterior means dust won’t get into the system and affect how it works and cleaning the interior and disposing of any out of date food means the fridge doesn’t need to work as hard to keep food cool/frozen.
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She went on to say that the TV was a big energy drain, and that as many as 98 per cent of UK households leave their sets on standby at all times. Natalia said this is a huge drain of power, and it's made even worse if you're a gamer.
She continued: "Many wrongly assume that turning off via the remote switches it off entirely – however this isn’t always the case. Leaving the TV plugged in and switched on uses 1.3kWh. As the average cost of electricity is now £0.28 per unit, this can add £132.86 a year to your bill.
"Games consoles tend to be left switched on and plugged in as much as TVs and are often overlooked. Simply ensuring it is turned off completely can save £4.20 each day, as when a typical games console is left on standby it uses a hefty 15kWh per hour."
She said that your kettle uses around 0.3kWh when left plugged in, which adds up to £30.66 a year, and leaving a phone charger switched on adds around £20 to your annual bill.
