Is there any point?

Deedaa

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.

These figures they keep throwing around are meaningless. When did it cost £16 a year, before the April rise or after? What will it cost a year by next March? The cost depends on how much you're paying per kWh for electricity, and we are all paying different rates for that anyway.

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.

Maybe we should all just switch our electricity off at the fuse box. Then everything would be off and no worries about what each thing is costing. ?

NotAGran55

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

The results are in :
12 hours on standby @ 27p per kWh cost 1p overnight last night.
0.0059 kWh.
£7.30 per year.

As the plug is behind it and it involves lifting the oven out of it’s housing to get to it I won’t be bothering to unplug it.

Aveline

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!

I dot believe you!

Chestnut

^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.^

Maybe we should all just switch our electricity off at the fuse box. Then everything would be off and no worries about what each thing is costing. ?

Not so great if the fridge/freezer defrosts itself overnight.

Chestnut

^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.^

Maybe we should all just switch our electricity off at the fuse box. Then everything would be off and no worries about what each thing is costing. ?

?
Then the freezer and fridge would be on constant the next day to try to get back down to the right temperature.

27p per kWh

52p per kWh from October on average

I leave everything plugged in.
Wires, technology and anything of that ilk stresses me out, so it would have to be a pretty big saving for me to even attempt to unplug things.

Callistemon21

^27p per kWh^

52p per kWh from October on average

Just what I was thinking. 27p per kWh seems quite low and I don't think anyone will be on that rate by next year.

Chestnut

Callistemon21

27p per kWh

52p per kWh from October on average

Just what I was thinking. 27p per kWh seems quite low and I don't think anyone will be on that rate by next year.

I am on that rate now! That’s why I reported it, and many people are still on much lower fixed rates.

Chestnut

^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.

I have a friend who had a fall recently, reaching to switch the TV socket off and turning quickly into the room. I could see how easily it could happen. She broke her wrist, sadly.

Her son put these remote controlled sockets in for her. As far as I can see, five is the maximum for one any remote. However, you could have more than one set if you wanted them in different rooms. I am intent on doing everything I can to keep my independence so I am going to invest in a set of these for the sitting room. It is there where sockets are most behind other things.

You switch each one off with the remote; it's as simple as using a TV remote. Even if this only saves a little, it will help, and help me stay safe.

You may have to ask someone to help you put them in the sockets (if that is difficult) and set them up, although there are Youtube videos and it seems very simply.

simply simple

NotAGran55

Chestnut

Callistemon21

27p per kWh

52p per kWh from October on average

Just what I was thinking. 27p per kWh seems quite low and I don't think anyone will be on that rate by next year.

I am on that rate now! That’s why I reported it, and many people are still on much lower fixed rates.

I get that people on fixed tariffs are still paying low rates at the moment, but these will go up hugely when their fixed tariff ends.

NotAGran55

NotAGran55

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

The results are in :
12 hours on standby @ 27p per kWh cost 1p overnight last night.
0.0059 kWh.
£7.30 per year.

As the plug is behind it and it involves lifting the oven out of it’s housing to get to it I won’t be bothering to unplug it.

DaisyAnne About twenty years ago we had remote control things that were plugged into an existing socket, then the appliance plugged into them. No replacing existing sockets. They were brilliant - you could switch things on and off at the plug without reaching into awkward spaces behind the furniture, or bending right down to skirting board level. They got a great deal of use for years. Then we lost the controller.

Sorry, that was to DaisyAnne at 09:14:43.

Chestnut

NotAGran55

Chestnut

Callistemon21

27p per kWh

52p per kWh from October on average

Just what I was thinking. 27p per kWh seems quite low and I don't think anyone will be on that rate by next year.

I am on that rate now! That’s why I reported it, and many people are still on much lower fixed rates.

I get that people on fixed tariffs are still paying low rates at the moment, but these will go up hugely when their fixed tariff ends.

Yes obviously the rates will change over time and always have done .
However that has nothing to do with the original posters point.

The point being, what is the consumption of an appliance on standby? This is the constant in the equation.

NotAGran55 Your 27p a Kwh looks like being 52p in the very near future. Prices are set to rise again soon and the price cap to 52p, and that won't last.

Elegran

NotAGran55 Your 27p a Kwh looks like being 52p in the very near future. Prices are set to rise again soon and the price cap to 52p, and that won't last.

Yes I know that!
But what has that got to do do with the point of this thread?

Even if my rate rate rises to a million pounds a kWh ? it won’t change the consumption of any appliance on standby or otherwise.

Elegran

NotAGran55

NotAGran55

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

The results are in :
12 hours on standby @ 27p per kWh cost 1p overnight last night.
0.0059 kWh.
£7.30 per year.

As the plug is behind it and it involves lifting the oven out of it’s housing to get to it I won’t be bothering to unplug it.

DaisyAnne About twenty years ago we had remote control things that were plugged into an existing socket, then the appliance plugged into them. No replacing existing sockets. They were brilliant - you could switch things on and off at the plug without reaching into awkward spaces behind the furniture, or bending right down to skirting board level. They got a great deal of use for years. Then we lost the controller.

That's what these are Elegran. I will remember to give the controller a home. Then the only problem will be to remember to put it there

I also noticed someone talking about encouraging us to do things at off peak times to help the energy system. I wonder why they don't do that now. As long as it wasn't too late - I live in a flat and wouldn't want to disturb the neighbours - I would be happy to fit round it now.

Martin Lewis on "Energy-saving tips 'n' tricks (and how we've answered 'em)"
www.moneysavingexpert.com/utilities/energy-saving-myths/

About putting things on standby, he says -
"But there's some debate about how effective this is – the Energy Saving Trust still says you can save about £40 a year by turning off your appliances at the plug, while British Gas says it could be £110 a year, but we reckon this figure is a bit overblown. It's EU law that TVs and other devices made since 2013 can't use more than 0.5 watts in standby mode. To show the scale of it, a TV watched four hours a day and left on standby the rest of the time would cost £1.03 a year.

While the report focused mainly on TVs, it is said that most modern devices consume much less power while on standby than they used to. So while you may not save as much as the Energy Saving Trust says, it can still be worth doing – all devices will still use a small amount of power, and this can add up."
I switch things right off when I can, as it is possible for something to go wrong and overheat, causing a fire. Plus, now we have left the EU, their safety rules may not keep out devices made since 2013 which use more than 0.5 watts in standby mode.

NotAGran55

Elegran

NotAGran55 Your 27p a Kwh looks like being 52p in the very near future. Prices are set to rise again soon and the price cap to 52p, and that won't last.

Yes I know that!
But what has that got to do do with the point of this thread?

Even if my rate rate rises to a million pounds a kWh ? it won’t change the consumption of any appliance on standby or otherwise.

But it will double the cost of the power it does use. I thought that was the subject of the thread.

NotAGran55

Elegran

NotAGran55 Your 27p a Kwh looks like being 52p in the very near future. Prices are set to rise again soon and the price cap to 52p, and that won't last.

Yes I know that!
But what has that got to do do with the point of this thread?

Even if my rate rate rises to a million pounds a kWh ? it won’t change the consumption of any appliance on standby or otherwise.

It will cost more to have appliances on standby, that's the point.

Perhaps a lot of people don't realise just how much it costs to have an appliance on standby.
I didn't. It's obvious that it does if it has a clock like the microwave or oven input something which isn't obiously using electricity like a toaster?

Is it worth turning off the microwave or oven only to have the clock flashing annoyingly every time they're turned on again?
Is it worth turning off the TV and attached boxes each time, risking falling behind it, getting tangled in wires and risk breaking a limb?

We have to make a risk assessment and decide if the amount saved is worth it.

I don't know where the stray input came from.

Or something

I suppose fridges and freezers probably use the most power but
I wouldn’t want to risk our health switching them off. We had a long power cut , several days, last year and I had to throw everything out. They gave me $200 compensation which was better than a smack in the mouth but didn’t cover it.