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Is there any point?

(168 Posts)
kircubbin2000 Thu 01-Sept-22 16:43:01

We are advised to switch off things on standby like the tv. I have never done this and wonder will we really save money by so doing. I leave hairdryer, toaster tv and microwave on and have 2 chargers plugged in but not connected to phones.
Do things actually need to be turned off at the switch or unplugged?
Perhaps I'll give it a go but can anyone tell me how much I am wasting?

Elizabeth27 Thu 01-Sept-22 16:48:45

I know a TV left on standby is £11 per year, don't know about other things.

aggie Thu 01-Sept-22 16:53:42

If I switch the tv off at the wall , the internet goes off too , so that’s a no no
Why do tvs not have off buttons anymore ?

eazybee Thu 01-Sept-22 16:55:22

My father used to switch everything electrical off, including their newly stocked chest freezer, before they went on holiday for a fortnight, and my boiler, no central heating or hot water in the morning.

AGAA4 Thu 01-Sept-22 17:02:00

I think the TV is one of the appliances that costs the most on standby. Microwaves don't use that much to leave on but I suppose it all adds up.

NotAGran55 Thu 01-Sept-22 17:08:06

It’s worth investing in one of these type of gadgets.
I was amazed at the cost of running some of the appliances in my house, both high and low.

It paid for itself within minutes and my sister is now checking her usage with it.

energenie4u.co.uk/catalogue/product/ENER007

Chestnut Thu 01-Sept-22 17:38:00

AGAA4

I think the TV is one of the appliances that costs the most on standby. Microwaves don't use that much to leave on but I suppose it all adds up.

My TV has a button on the remote to put it on standby or can be switched off altogether with a button on the side of the TV. I would never use the standby button because you can see it's still connected and using power. But when 'switched off' it is still plugged in at the socket and I'm not sure if that is still using power.

Chestnut Thu 01-Sept-22 17:38:39

NotAGran55

It’s worth investing in one of these type of gadgets.
I was amazed at the cost of running some of the appliances in my house, both high and low.

It paid for itself within minutes and my sister is now checking her usage with it.

energenie4u.co.uk/catalogue/product/ENER007

That looks amazing, I will get one immediately. Just hope I can work out how to use it.

Aveline Thu 01-Sept-22 17:42:58

I read that it costs £67 a year to keep your microwave on standby just to see the clock. I know lots of people who do this. I stopped!

Fleurpepper Thu 01-Sept-22 17:44:14

Off to unplug mine right now!

JaneJudge Thu 01-Sept-22 17:44:45

I just think I'd ache more if I had to switch everything off and on and I like to leave a light on at night

JaneJudge Thu 01-Sept-22 17:45:15

my microwave doesn't have a clock, so that's a relief grin

shysal Thu 01-Sept-22 17:59:30

I heard a different figure, it was £16 per year in total for all household equipment on standby.
I unplugged my TV and digital recorder the other night, next day realizing that of course it didn't record the few daytime and late night series that I enjoy. I do turn off the TV at the set when not watching.

NotAGran55 Thu 01-Sept-22 18:53:17

I’ve plugged my microwave oven into my gadget and will report back tomorrow with the standby cost.

Debbi58 Thu 01-Sept-22 18:54:10

My husband is really tight with money and he says it doesn't use much energy to leave these things on standby. So it must be true ?

BlueBelle Thu 01-Sept-22 19:09:37

I always unplug TV, Microwave, kettle, washing machine, radio etc when finished using them it’s simple enough to pull it out and put it back in when needed
I don’t record anything as I watch on catch up, or my iPad and none of my appliances have a clock on them
I never leave a charger in if not in use and I don’t have lights on at night
My family always used to pull everything when not in use in the old days
Can’t do much more

Hetty58 Fri 02-Sept-22 01:15:21

I can't be bothered to switch everything off - just to save a small amount yearly. I do things that save a decent amount, like washing clothes in cold water, using the microwave and air fryer (or slow cooker) rather than the hob or oven, turning off the electric shower while I wash and shampoo, adding another layer or blanket or keeping active when I'm chilly, using door curtains - oh and thermal curtain liners - things really worth doing or investing time and money into.

growstuff Fri 02-Sept-22 01:47:28

My electricity bill is already quite low because I've already made a conscious effort to turn off lights, use economical cooking methods, don't use the tumble drier, etc. I don't think pulling plugs out would save me much.

Gas is a different matter ...

I have a gas hob (which I avoid using if I can) hot water (which I use sparingly, but I don't think I can give up on washing myself!) and heating (which is now about as efficient as it will ever be).

buffyfly9 Fri 02-Sept-22 03:12:20

People must think my husband and I have gone away as at night the house looks totally unoccupied! I have replaced the hall lamp with a battery operated one (Amazon!)'that comes on as you approach it and stays on for a minute or so then turns itself off. The two batteries last for months. We have one light in the sitting room and one in the kitchen, I dry everything on the line or on an airer, got rid of the tumble dryer, only run the washing machine and dishwasher when full and batch cook when the oven goes on. Our lovely very elderly cat has a "moon light" near her basket in the utility room so she can see her tray and food etc, that is battery operated too and gives a lovely warm glow with 3 settings. We use oil central heating but at the moment it only heats our water and if we don't have the radiators on it is very economical. We intend to cover ourselves with warm fleece blankets whilst watching TV when the weather turns cold. We don't leave things on standby as I turn everything off at the wall apart from the TV and the recorder.

nanna8 Fri 02-Sept-22 04:16:57

I never really think to switch off the standby things like tvs and computers except if we go away but I have been told it is a bit of a fire hazard to leave them on all the time so it is food for thought.I try not to use the dryer much and now the weather is getting better for us it won’t be needed for a while. I like hanging the washing outside because it feels fresher somehow but in winter it is so damp it comes in wetter than it goes out sometimes.

Chestnut Fri 02-Sept-22 09:38:37

I always unplug TV, Microwave, kettle, washing machine, radio etc when finished using them it’s simple enough to pull it out and put it back in when needed

Not simple for me. The washing machine plug is behind the washing machine and unreachable. The TV, DVD recorder, Hi Fi system, hub, BT Vision are all plugged in behind the wall unit and unplugging one means unplugging everything.

Wheniwasyourage Fri 02-Sept-22 10:16:23

I always unplug the TV (& DVD player) at night as it's what we always had to do when I was young (not yesterday, it has to be said), and it's always been a habit. We don't have anything on standby for clocks or any other reason. The washing machine & dishwasher are like yours, Chestnut and unreachable, but they have switches on the wall to switch them off when not in use. I see that some people say that they don't think they should turn off their router at night, but we always have and it's still working.

The only trouble when you already do all these things, and already have LED light bulbs and so on, is that there is no more slack to take up to save on the bills. It's like if you don't take sugar in your tea you can't give it up if you want to lose weight...

GrannySomerset Fri 02-Sept-22 10:16:26

My heart sinks at the prospect of all that unplugging, battery operated lights and never using the oven. This coming winter feels unsurvivable!

growstuff Fri 02-Sept-22 10:41:29

My last few electricity use bills (before VAT and standing charge) have been as follows:

Feb £49.01
Mar £47.93
Apr £49.16
May £48.46
Jun £42.08
Jul £47.06

I'm surprised at how consistent they've been - just over £10 a week.

I assume they'll increase by 80% when the new charges are announced, so I'd be interested in knowing how much I'd save if I unplugged everything when not in use. It does seem like quite a lot of hassle and maybe not worth it.

Deedaa Fri 02-Sept-22 10:51:22

Last year a chap came to check our insulation and, in passing, said "Why do you keep the microwave on when you're not using it? It's costing you about £16 a year" I've heard recently that it is now £28 a year.