Previously we spoke about the big energy wasters in your home the fridge tumble dryer and washing machine.
It’s not just the big appliances you need to worry about, misusing your small appliances and devices will needlessly waste electricity also.
Too many people leave devices and appliances on when they’re not in use. Research suggests that the UK wastes nearly 500 million pounds worth of electricity every year because of this.
Not good for electricity prices or the environment for that matter.
All appliances waste energy when left on standby. Even appliances that are switched off but still plugged in will consume energy.
All of us have left a charger switched on in the wall after disconnecting our phones, even though there’s nothing to charge energy will still be wasted.
All this adds up
To give you an idea let’s look at an average home with
- A Computer
- A Dishwasher
- An Electric oven
- A Games console
- A Kettle
- A Microwave
- Multiple chargers (phone, laptop, tablet, headphone etc.)
- A Washing machine
- Two TVs
Let’s assume these devices left on standby mode or plugged in when not in use.
That’s a waste of £15-20 per year, and this is just a modest example
Many homes have more devices than listed above.
It’s thought some households waste up to £80 a year by not switching devices off and unplugging them when not in use.
Leaving devices on can also pose a fire risk in some situations. Most appliances sold in the UK are pretty safe if used properly. Always follow the manufacturers instructions and avoid cheap chargers off the internet and you should be ok.
Eliminate Electricity Wastage
We’ve already talked about how to save money with the large devices, here’s how to save money with your smaller devices
Don’t leave anything on standby mode whether that’s a laptop, tablet, games console, hairdryer etc. Once finished with switch everything off at the wall.
Never leave chargers plugged into devices when they’re not being charged when you’ve finished charging your device disconnect, switch charger off at the wall and unplug.
When filling your kettle, use only the exact amount of water you need.
When you have finished with your kettle, toaster or any other kitchen appliance for that matter, switch it off at the wall.
Your electric oven will be connected to a cooker switch somewhere in the kitchen. This supplies power to the cooker.
When you finish cooking you can switch the oven off at the cooker switch to save even more electricity. You can do the same if you have a built-in electric hob. We know the digital clock on your electric oven is handy but do you really need to keep it switched on all the time? Invest in a battery wall clock instead.