VAMPIRE ELECTRONICS: HOW MUCH POWER DO THESE DEVICES REALLY DRAIN?

Can you save £££s by switching off appliances at the mains, as suggested by some headlines?

- JOCELYN TIMPERLEY

In April, British Gas published a report claiming households could save an average £147 per year on their energy bills by switching off devices that drain power when left on standby.

The finding sparked the latest conversation about so-called 'vampire electronics' - devices that consume electricity when they're on standby mode or at other times you may not think they are - such as phone chargers plugged in at the wall but not connected to a phone, which will add a few pence to your bill.

So how much power are these devices draining, and can we do anything about it to lower our bills?

In its report, British Gas named set-top boxes, satellites, internet routers and TVs as the top three worst offenders when it comes to wasting money by being unnecessarily left on standby. Microwaves, games consoles and computers also drain a lot of energy on standby, it said.

It used a survey carried out by YouGov to understand appliance use in UK households in April 2022, and combined that with their latest energy prices to understand the potential cost of vampire gadgets, a spokesperson for British Gas said.

"This is a 'could' scenario and 'up to' this amount this is based on what people are telling us, so it's not an exact science but our aim is to start the conversation to highlight the tips around turning things off when not in use," the spokesperson said.

"A good top tip is to replace things with more energy-efficient models when you can and we especially see big savings from items like washing machines and dishwashers amongst our customers."