Energy bills which rocketed in April are set to go up again in October - and then get even higher in January and April next year, with the average bill forecast to be £4,500 a year within months. Experts say there are things you can do to cut your bill - including being aware of which appliances use the most power, and which are draining your account even when you don't know it.
Some household appliances are big users of energy - and should be avoided if you can - while others draw power 24/7 whether you are actively using them or not. These are sometimes known as 'vampire appliances' because they suck the money from your account. Even before the most recent price rises in April the average home was spending £86 a year on vampire appliances - mostly electrical devices left on standby.
That went up to around £129 in April and in October it could go up another £60 a year. So if you don't take action you could be paying well over £200 a year just to leave devices plugged in by next April.
Consumer champions Which? collected energy usage data for the most common kitchen appliances to show how much each of them costs to run.
A condenser tumble dryer came out top of the list - costing you £141.19 a year to run on average. But while you can always choose not to use a dryer, the second appliance is more tricky.
A large American-style fridge freezer will cost you £120.16 to run and a standard fridge freezer will cost you £84.94 to run on average.
Other appliances tested by Which? were dishwashers (£79.38 a year), built-in ovens (£64.18 a year) and washing machines (£63.25 a year).
Turning to small appliances Which? found a kettle will cost you £32 a year to run if you make three hot drinks a day.
A Which? spokesman said: "Another interesting product is the air fryer - the average model we test has a power rating of just over 1,600W (based on 43 models). These are often cheaper to run than larger appliances such as ovens as they complete the same tasks quicker (and using less energy). It's the same story for microwaves, which have an average wattage of 800W based on the 138 models we've tested.
"Smaller, less frequently-used appliances such as blenders and juicers tend to have a power rating of well under 1,000W, so your regular morning smoothie habit shouldn't have too much of an impact on your energy bills."
Energy experts Loop looked at which appliances are costing you the most to run 'in the background' - the vampire appliances.
They say an extra fridge will cost you £99 a year, desktop computers left on standby will run up £79 a year, a set-top TV box will run up £149 a year in energy bills alone, outdoor security lights will add £50 a year to your bills, outdoor lighting will add another £125 a year.
People have also been warned to look out for games consoles, phones left to charge over night and TVs left on standby adding money to your bills.
Things like TVs, self-activating lights, set-top boxes, computers and games consoles can be fully switched off when not in use. Phones should be unplugged when fully charged. Anything which has a light, clock, display or even just a small LED will be drawing power even when you aren't using it.
According to paylesspower this includes printers, music systems, microwaves, garage door openers, digital clocks, routers and even plugged-in electric toothbrushes.
Confused.com also lists smart home devices like Alexa, speakers and any appliance with a light or display as a vampire appliance.
All of the costs above will go up an extra 80% in the next round of bill hikes.
