- Nearly every UK household (96%) admits to having at least one bad energy habit – such as overfilling the kettle or leaving lights on – which can add up to £117 a year to bills[1]
- Two-thirds of people (67%) set their washing machine at temperatures above 40°C – costing an extra £17 a year, and half (50%) run it when it’s not full – costing nearly £7 more a year[2]
- Over half (52%) of households leave the hot tap running while washing up - pouring £10 down the drain each year[5]
- Two-thirds of people (71%) leave mobile phones plugged in when fully charged, and nearly half (47%) leave the TV on when no one is watching[4]
- For Energy Saving Day, Uswitch is offering tips on how to track and reduce energy use with the free Uswitch app.
Households’ bad energy habits could be adding £117 a year to their energy bills[1], according to new research for Energy Saving Day from Uswitch.com, the comparison and switching service.
Nearly every household (96%) admits to having at least one bad energy habit that could be costing them money, such as leaving devices switched on when not in use and failing to use appliances efficiently.
There are big potential savings on the costs of running kitchen appliances like washing machines, dishwashers, and tumble dryers, which are among the most energy-consuming devices in UK households.
More than two-thirds of households (67%) set their washing machine at more than 40°C, potentially costing nearly £17 a year more than washing at 30°C, while half (50%) run it when it’s not full[2].
With washing machines costing households £27 a year on average in electricity, an extra wash every week could add an extra £7 to yearly bills[2].
Table: The extra annual cost of energy bad habits
| Energy habit | Proportion that do this | Cost per household |
|---|---|---|
| Use the tumble dryer when it’s a hot day outside | 42% | £26.54 |
| Let the hot shower run while you’re not in it | 39% | £19.41 |
| Run the washing machine at 40°C or more | 67% | £16.76 |
| Run the tumble dryer when it’s not full | 48% | £15.92 |
| Let the hot/warm tap keep running while washing up | 52% | £10.40 |
| Leave lights on when not in the room | 58% | £7.82 |
| Run the dishwasher when it’s not full | 45% | £7.54 |
| Run the washing machine when it’s not full | 50% | £6.80 |
| Leave TV on when nobody is watching it | 47% | £1.61 |
| Leave the fridge door open for longer than needed | 36% | £1.59 |
| Leave my phone charging when it’s reached max battery | 71% | £1.50 |
| Leave my phone charging when it’s reached max battery | 73% | £1.40 |
Source: Uswitch.com.
Running the dishwasher when it’s not full adds an average of nearly £8 a year to energy bills – while not using the appliance’s eco mode could also increase costs by £16[3].
Households that leave the hot tap running while doing the washing up are pouring more money down the drain. A running hot tap can waste 100 litres in just ten minutes, also wasting 20p in energy costs. Households that do this one a week could run up an additional £10 a year[5].
Nearly 20 million households admit leaving the TV on when no one is watching, potentially adding £1.61 a year to bills, while nearly three-fifths (58%) leave the lights on when no one is in the room, which could add nearly £8 to annual bills. Leaving devices on standby is the most common bad habit, with 73% of households saying they do this.
The free Uswitch app, lets consumers with a smart meter track and reduce their power use to help cut down their energy bills. Households without a smart meter can use the Uswitch energy efficiency guides to reduce their power use and their energy bill.
Elise Melville, energy expert at Uswitch.com, comments: “Energy bills are on the rise as winter arrives, so now is a good time to think about improving your energy habits to save money.
“Occasionally leaving the lights on or overfilling the kettle could be forgiven now and then, but if these bad habits are the norm, you could be adding hundreds to your energy bill unnecessarily.
“The biggest energy guzzlers in the home usually involve heating water, so consider using the eco mode on white goods and running them only when full to keep costs down.
“To see how much energy you are using, download the free Uswitch mobile app and connect to your smart meter for personalised insights. The more you use, the more you pay, so making small changes could add up to significant savings over time.”
Track your energy usage with the free Uswitch app.
For more information
Beverley Noble | Energy PR Manager
beverley.noble@rvu.co.uk
Twitter: @UswitchPR
Notes
Research conducted online by Opinium, 8th to 11th October 2024, among 2,000 UK adults, weighted to be nationally representative.
1. Respondents were asked ‘How frequently, if at all, do you do any of the following?’’ See table for percentage of households which answered ‘yes’ to each bad habit.
2. Washing machines. On average households spend £27.21 a year running their washing machine, based on a 0.712kWh cycle, used three times a week at the energy price guarantee electricity unit rate of 24.50p (0.712kWh x 3 x 52 x 0.245£/kWh = £27.21). Which? Research finds washing at 30C uses 38% less energy than washing at 40C. £27.21 / 0.62 = £43.89. Extra cost of using 40C = £43.88 - £27.21 = £16.67. Households that fill their washing machine 80% full will end up doing an extra wash every four washes. £27.21 x 5/4 = £34.01. £34.01 - £27.21 = £6.80. Currys research says that using the eco mode on a washing machine saves between 35% and 59% of energy. Taking an average of these two figures gives 47%. £22.21 / 0.53 = £41.90. £41.90 - £27.21 = £14.69.
3. Dishwashers. On average, households spend £30.19 a year using their dishwasher, based on an average 0.79kWh per cycle, used three times a week. Households that fill their dishwasher 80% full will end up doing an extra wash every four washes. £30.19 x 5/4 = £37.73. £37.73 - £30.19 = £7.54. Research suggests using the eco mode on a dishwasher saves 33% of energy. £30.19 / 0.66 = £45.74 cost of not using eco mode. £45.74 - £30.19 = £15.55.
4. Tumble dryers. On average, households spend £63.70 a year running their tumble dryer, based on a 2.5kW model used for two hours a week. Households that fill their tumble dryer 80% full will end up doing an extra load every four cycles. £63.70 x 5/4 = £79.62. £79.62 - £63.70 = £15.92. Using the tumble dryer when it’s hot outside wastes energy during the five warmest months of the year. £63.70 x 5/12 = £26.54 potential saving. Assume eco mode saves 33% of energy, £63.70 / 0.66 = £96.51. £96.50 - £63.70 = £32.81.
5. Hot tap. Research by Tap Warehouse finds ten minutes of rinsing dishes can waste up to 100 litres of water. The energy required to heat 100 litres of water is 3.26kWh, which equates to £0.20 per washing session if using a gas boiler. Assume that this happens once a week, equals £0.20 x 52 = £10.40 a year.
About Uswitch
Uswitch is one of the UK’s top comparison websites for home services switching, including energy, broadband and mobiles.
More people go to Uswitch to find their energy, broadband and mobile deals than any other site, and we have saved consumers over £2.7 billion off their bills since we launched in September 2000.
Free mobile app Utrack also helps households manage their home energy usage and make potential savings.
Uswitch is part of RVU, a group of online brands with a mission to empower consumers to make more confident home services, insurance and financial decisions.