- Nearly every UK household (96%) admits to having at least one bad energy habit – such as leaving lights on – which can add up to £119 a year to bills[1]
- Two-thirds of people (67%) set their washing machine at temperatures above 40oC – 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 almost £11 down the drain each year[3]
- 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]
- Uswitch is offering tips on how to track and reduce energy use with the free Uswitch app, helping households make a New Year’s Resolution to save money.
Getting into good energy habits could save households £119 a year on their energy bills[1], according to research by 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.
Kitchen appliances like washing machines and dishwashers are among the most energy-consuming devices in UK households. This means there are big potential savings for households that make a resolution to use these appliances more efficiently or less often.
More than two-thirds of households (67%) set their washing machine at more than 40oC, potentially costing more than £17 a year more than washing at 30oC, 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% | £26.93 |
| Let the hot shower run while you’re not in it | 39% | £19.70 |
| Run the washing machine at 40°C or more | 67% | £17.01 |
| Run the tumble dryer when it’s not full | 48% | £16.15 |
| Let the hot/warm tap keep running while washing up | 52% | £10.75 |
| Leave lights on when not in the room | 58% | £7.93 |
| Run the dishwasher when it’s not full | 45% | £7.65 |
| Run the washing machine when it’s not full | 50% | £6.90 |
| Leave TV on when nobody is watching it | 47% | £1.94 |
| Leave the fridge door open for longer than needed | 36% | £1.61 |
| Leave my phone charging when it’s reached max battery | 71% | £1.52 |
| Leave gadgets on standby | 73% | £1.42 |
| Having all of these bad energy habits | £119.20 |
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 once a week could run up an additional £10 a year[3].
Nearly 20 million households admit leaving the TV on when no one is watching, potentially adding £1.94 a year to bills[4], while nearly three-fifths (58%) leave the lights on when no one is in the room, which could add almost £8 to annual bills. Leaving devices on standby is the most common bad habit, with 73% of households saying they do this[5].
The free Uswitch app lets households with a smart meter track and reduce their energy use to help cut down their energy bills. Households without a smart meter can use Uswitch’s energy efficiency guides to find ways to be more energy-efficient around the home.
Elise Melville, energy expert at Uswitch.com, comments: “Energy prices rose on New Year’s Day for millions of people on standard variable tariffs, and they’re predicted to go up again on 1 April, so now’s a great time to make a New Year’s Resolution to cut your bills.
“Occasionally leaving the lights on or overfilling the kettle is only natural, 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.
“It’s also important to remember that there are fixed deals on the market that could save you money. If you’re on a standard variable tariff, you could lock in lower rates for twelve months or longer by switching to a fixed deal. The average household could currently save up to £122 per year versus the price cap by fixing[6].
“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 to editors
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 and an estimated cost per household. 96% of respondents answered ‘yes’ to one or more bad energy 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 24.86p (0.712kWh x 3 x 52 x 0.2486£/kWh = £27.61). Which? Research finds washing at 30C uses 38% less energy than washing at 40C. £27.61 / 0.62 = £44.55. Extra cost of using 40C = £44.55 - £27.61 = £16.93. Households that fill their washing machine 80% full will end up doing an extra wash every four washes. £27.61 x 5/4 = £34.51. £34.51 - £27.61 = £6.90. 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%. £27.61 / 0.53 = £52.09. £52.09 - £27.61 = £24.48.
3. Dishwashers. On average, households spend £30.64 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. £30.64 x 5/4 = £38.30. £38.30 - £30.64 = £7.54. Research suggests using the eco mode on a dishwasher saves 33% of energy. £30.64 / 0.66 = £46.42 cost of not using eco mode. £46.42 - £30.64 = £15.78.
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 £0.21 per washing session if using a gas boiler. Assume that this happens once a week, equals £0.21 x 52 = £10.75 a year.
4. Phones overcharged. A phone draws 2.24W of power even when fully charged. 0.0024kW x 7 hours x 365 x 0.2486 = £1.52 a year extra cost.
TVs left on. Average TV uses 100W of power. Average household watched 7.5 hours of TV a week. Total annual electricity cost = 7.5 x 52 x 0.1kW x 24.86p/kWh = £9.70. Research suggests TV is left on for 20% of watching time. 20% of £9.70 = £1.94.
5. Overall devices left on standby. A TV on standby uses 1.3W. Assume one device left on standby for 12 hours a day. 0.0013kW x 12 x 365 x 0.2486 = £1.42.
Lights left on. 11% of electricity bill is lighting. 2,900kW average household electricity use x 0.2486 x 11% = £79.30 annual lighting bill. Assume lights are on for 10% more than needed. £79.30 x 10% = £7.93
6. Save by switching to a fixed deal. Cheapest fix is Outfox the Market’s The Big January Sale (Jan 25) - Fix'd Dual v2.0 tariff, costing £1,616 a year for a typical consumption household. Prices correct as of 5:00pm on 6 January 2025.
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.