Many households may not be aware that several home appliances can slyly sap small amounts of power and add up over time on your energy bill.
While they’re not the main villains behind hefty electricity bills, turning them off is an essential strategy for energy conservation in every home.
Eric Bramlett, a real estate expert and owner of Bramlett Residential, has highlighted the top five appliances you “should never” leave on standby, explaining the importance of powering them down.
Games consoles
These high-powered devices come with energy-saving features but also have significant drawbacks. They have an on/off switch that puts them into a low-power standby mode.
However, many users forget to completely turn them off, or they switch off the TV while leaving the console on, which can be expensive. Eric pointed out: “They can be real energy hogs on standby. A client of mine saw their energy bills drop after turning off their console when not in use.”
Experts from the Energy Saving Trust have highlighted that game consoles make up about six percent of a household’s energy bill.
Though this might not sound like much, over time, turning off your console can lead to noticeable savings.
The Energy Saving Trust specialist also emphasised not to overlook updating consoles as it “can improve energy management”.
Cable or satellite boxes
Leaving these appliances on standby can be quite costly, according to Eric. He shared: “A friend of mine found that unplugging their cable box when not in use made a difference in their monthly energy bills.”
Standby mode for these devices consumes similar amounts of power as game consoles.
Older appliances
As electrical appliances age, their efficiency decreases and they start using more power. This is often due to several malfunctioning parts.
One of the prime culprits for energy consumption is an old fridge. It’s advised not to turn off such an appliance, but upgrading to a newer, more efficient model could be a wise move.
Microwave ovens
Even when not actively being used, microwave ovens draw power simply to keep the clock display running.
However, you can save some energy by unplugging the microwave or using a power strip to switch it off, which could “lower your electricity bill” according to the expert.
Desktop computers
Desktop computers are notorious for consuming more energy than laptops, so remember to always turn them off completely.
Eric advised: “Don’t even get me started on those. Just shut them down when you’re done using them and watch your bills melt away.”