Worst vampire appliances that are pushing up your energy bills by £147

01 November 2023 , 11:32

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Games consoles continue to use power even when on standby (Image: Getty Images)

Brits have urged to switch off vampire appliances off standby to save money on energy this winter.

Vampire appliances are devices that, even in sleep or standby mode, continue to use energy for things like update and recording data. New research from insurance comparison site Quotezone.co.uk found 55% of people normally leave household appliances on standby.

But its experts say switching appliances off when they’re not being used can save families around £147 on their annual energy bills. According to research, 23% of household electricity use is wasted on vampire appliances.

Topping the list of devices with high annual standby costs are smaller electronics such as smart home devices, consoles and computers which account for around 5% of the electricity bill. Other vampire appliances include washing machines, dishwashers and tumble dryers have also made the list.

Helen Rolph, price comparison expert at Quotezone.co.uk, said: “If Halloween wasn’t scary enough already, you might have hidden vampire appliances in your home, sucking up almost a quarter of your energy consumption and pushing up bills.

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“Leaving appliances on standby means that they’ll still be draining power even when you’re not using them. The simplest way you can reduce your energy usage and save money is to eliminate vampire appliances and avoid unnecessary electricity use.

“Our most recent survey shows 70% of UK households feel overcharged for their energy, so we need to do what we can to switch off and save. We’ve done some research and compiled a top ten list to help people identify which energy draining appliances to switch ‘off off’ and start clawing back money.”

Ten vampire appliances you need to switch off now

• Games console - costs £27.52 if left on standby all year
• Desktop computer - costs £13.39 if left on standby all year
• Laptop - costs £10.41 if left on standby all year
• Smart speakers - costs £7.44 if left on standby all year
• Dishwasher - costs £7.44 if left on standby all year
• Washing machine - costs £6.45 if left on standby all year
• Microwave - costs £5.95 if left on standby all year
• TV - costs £5.70 if left on standby all year
• Printer - costs £1.24 if left on standby all year
• Tumble dryer - costs £6.45 if left on standby all year

Levi Winchester