‘Vampire devices’ consume a surprising amount of energy and may be the culprit behind unnecessarily heightened energy bills.
An expert has issued a stark warning about ‘vampire devices’, suggesting they may be the culprit behind your heightened energy bills. Despite the nightmarish nickname, these appliances probably aren’t what you think.
Often overlooked, they are actually quite ordinary items but, in reality, they may be leeching off your electricity supply even when they are ‘off’. Unplug these and you may save yourself up to £105 each year amid Britain’s continued battle with the cost-of-living crisis, according to Gordon Wallis at Your NRG.
“By focusing on these specific ‘vampire devices,’ you can take practical steps to reduce your energy consumption and save on your bills,” said energy specialist Gordon. “Chargers and adapters for gadgets like phones and laptops are some of the most common culprits. Even when they are not in use, they draw small amounts of power, which can accumulate over time.”
Previous research indicates that phone chargers usually consume around 0.1 to 0.5 watts of electricity when they are left plugged in without a phone charging, according to LDNIO. This may seem too small to be costly but Gordon claims you can save as much as £5 to £10 per year if you turn these off.
However, it can depend on the number of chargers you have and just how much power they consume in standby mode.
Meanwhile, Gordon suggests that standby entertainment systems like TVs and gaming consoles are also ‘notorious’ for using too much energy when turned off. He explained: “Using a smart power strip to cut the power to all these devices at once can save you around £10 to £20 a year, depending on the number of devices and their power usage.”
Aside from this, switching off desktop computers, printers, monitors and any related devices could save you a whopping £20 to £50 a year, he adds. And, although you may be wary of unplugging a Wi-Fi router, doing so while you’re on holiday may save between £5 and £10 a year.
Gordon went on: “Kitchen appliances like microwaves, coffee makers, and toasters may seem harmless, but even these small gadgets can waste power when left plugged in and not in use. By unplugging them or using a power strip, you could save an additional £5 to £15 a year, depending on the number of appliances and their power consumption.”
Accumulatively, this adds up to a potential maximum of £105 each year on savings – all achieved by the simple flick of a switch.
Switch off your Wi-Fi router while you’re on holiday to save on bills, the expert adds (Image: Getty)
Steve Buckley, head of data science at Loop, also previously told BirminghamLive: “Many people I speak to are really worried about their energy bills right now, and sadly the situation is not set to improve for some time yet.
“The reality is that the only way we can lower our energy bills right now is to reduce the amount of energy we use and the key to that is measuring our use. If you measure it, you can control it. If you measure it, you can see the impact of changes you make.”
