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Which Appliances Should You Turn Off Standby to Save the Most Energy?
The cost-of-living crisis has more UK households than ever searching for ways to save energy and lift the financial pressure. A common question is whether it’s worth turning devices and appliances off standby, and if so then which ones? And how can this be done more conveniently to suit our busy lives?
Some still see the potential for saving money by turning devices off standby as a myth, but in fact households could save £60-£80 a year by switching appliances off standby. Read on to find out how to start saving today.
Vampire Devices – What Are They?
The term ‘vampire device’ is often used to describe a device that still draw mains power when left plugged into a wall socket, even when the device is switched off, due to being in sleep or standby mode. Examples of the most common vampire devices include:
- Washing machine
- Dishwasher
- Tumble dryer
- Television
- Microwave
- Computer monitor
- Printer
- Coffee machine
What Do Experts Say About Vampire Devices?
Appliance Expert Ian Palmer-Smith at Domestic & General has the following advice about vampire devices:
“Even in sleep or standby modes, some items continue to use energy for updates, connecting to remote servers, and recording data. The only way to ensure you’re not using any energy is to turn it off at the plug – or pull it out."
When deciding which appliances to turn off standby, remember that anything that needs to heat up water will consume the most energy, so try focusing on these. Best practice is to unplug them completely, or at least turn them off at the socket, to stop them continuing to draw energy while switched off at the display.
Expert Ian Palmer-Smith confirms: “They use more energy than others on standby as they need to be ready to heat water instantly, on demand."
Which Devices Should You NOT Turn Off Standby?
As you might expect, there are a few that should always stay on, like fridges and freezers. For these, the best you can do is to ensure you open them as little as possible to reduce the energy they use to cool the air inside back down, and when you need to replace these appliances make sure you purchase the most efficient model available to you.
Ian Palmer-Smith advises: “Whilst fridge freezers contribute around 12 percent to a household energy bill, you shouldn’t turn off or unplug this before a holiday as this will cause the fridge to defrost and also potentially result in a smelly kitchen.”
The Easier Way to Turn Appliances Off Standby
While unplugging devices is the best option to ensure a device doesn’t draw power, it’s not always practical to do this maybe multiple times a day, especially if the sockets are in hard-to-reach areas. Appliance Expert Ian Palmer-Smith suggests as an alternative:
“Standby savers, or energy-saving plugs, work with remote controls. The device blocks power from moving through the socket to the appliance. So, they’re handy if your sockets are in hard-to-reach areas.”
Save Energy With Wiser Plugs
As mentioned by Appliance Expert Ian Palmer-Smith, energy-saving smart plugs can be controlled remotely to provide convenient ON/OFF control of electrical devices. Wiser Plugs integrate into existing Wiser smart heating systems to allow full control anywhere, anytime vis the Wiser Home App. Check status, turn appliances ON or OFF at the plug remotely, even set schedules for when you want devices to turn off, saving you time and energy.
Want to turn multiple devices off standby at once? No problem. Simply use a power bar to connect multiple appliances near each other to a single smart plug and set a schedule them to turn off at once via the app, for ultimate convenience and better energy savings.
Discover more about our Energy Saving Plugs Here.
