9 Devices to Turn Off Standby Mode and Save on Your Bills

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UK households can save an average of £147 a year by switching off ‘vampire devices’. Vampire devices are electronic devices that draw a lot of power even on standby, which costs money.

British Gas research has found that households spend £2.2 billion a year leaving vamp appliances on standby. This equates to £147 a year for the average UK household, or two months’ electricity bills.

Most British households will now pay £1,971 for gas and electricity as energy prices rise by 54%. Energy UK deputy director Dhara Vyas told BBC News that bills could rise even more.

She said: “We are seeing really high price increases at the moment. We don’t know for sure yet because global gas prices are still volatile. Some estimates say we will face bills of up to £3,000 this winter.”

Since 2009, regulations require devices to switch to a low-power mode (such as standby mode) after a reasonable period of time. And since 2013, they cannot consume more than 0.5 W in standby or off mode.

However, recent research suggests that the small amount of energy used by devices in standby mode can still add up (and the total will be higher if you have older devices at home).

According to research by British Gas, some devices only need to be plugged in to draw energy. Smart speakers, laptops and internet routers all cost money if you want to stay connected.

Research has shown that it costs £24.61 a year to keep a TV on standby. With an extra £23.10 per decoder from TV providers such as Sky or Virgin Media.

Leaving a games console on standby can cost an average of £12.17, while computers can cost around £11.22

Other devices include:

• Microwave: £16.37

• Shower: £9.80

• Washing machine: £4.73

• Printer: £3.81

• Phone charger: £1.26

“You can buy smart plugs that let you check whether everything is turned off on your phone,” says British gas energy expert Marc Robson.

“At night or when not in use, try unplugging devices rather than putting them on standby, as even the TV’s standby light uses energy. Try not to overload your mobile phone and laptop unnecessarily.

“Once your device is charged, try to get into the habit of unplugging it.”

This article originally appeared on HuffPost UK and has been updated.

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