- 97% of households are guilty of misusing appliances[1] – and losing hundreds a year on their energy bills by mistreating gadgets[2]
- A third of people (34%) admit to taking showers lasting more than 20 minutes[3], which can cost an extra £120 in energy annually[4]
- Nearly two-fifths of consumers (37%) admit to preheating the oven for 30 minutes or more[3], potentially wasting around £10 over a year[5]
- Two-thirds of households (68%) overfill the kettle[3] at an annual cost of £14[6], while a similar proportion (64%) boil the kettle, forget it, then reboil it[3]
- Uswitch.com offers tips on how to use appliances more efficiently to reduce energy bills.
Millions of Brits are misusing their household appliances, with bad habits adding hundreds of pounds to energy bills annually[1], according to new analysis from Uswitch.com, the comparison and switching service.
Nearly everyone in the country is guilty of mistreating their gadgets, with 97% of consumers admitting to at least one costly energy slip-up around the home[1].
Kettles are the most commonly mistreated appliances, with two-thirds of households (68%) admitting to pouring in too much water when making a single cup of tea[3]. Households that overfill the kettle may be adding an unnecessary £14 to their annual energy bill[6].
A similar proportion of Brits (64%) admit to boiling the kettle, forgetting about it, then reboiling it[3]. As well as making the tea taste worse by concentrating minerals like calcium, this could also add another £22 a year to electricity costs[6].
The most expensive bad habit around the home is the extended use of the shower. More than half of Brits (54%) admit to taking showers of more than ten minutes, while a third (34%) linger under the hot water for over 20 minutes[3]. Regularly taking showers of between ten and 20 minutes could add £70 a year to the electricity bill of those using an electric shower. Yet, those who always opt for a 20-minute shower could be racking up an extra £120 more than the average Brit’s shower costs[4].
Costly appliance abuse that can add to household energy costs
| Appliance abuse | % of households who do this | Estimated additional annual cost |
| Take showers lasting more than 20 minutes | 34% | £120 |
| Take showers lasting 10–20 minutes | 54% | £70 |
| Overfill the tumble dryer | 26% | £36 |
| Cook food in the air fryer using timings meant for a traditional oven | 39% | £32 |
| Boil the kettle, forget about it, then re-boil it | 64% | £22 |
| Use the quickest washing machine or dishwasher cycle, even if it uses more energy | 67% | £19 |
| Run the washing machine not on eco mode | 62% | £19 |
| Overfill the washing machine | 45% | £19 |
| Run the dishwasher not on eco mode | 38% | £18 |
| Boil more water in the kettle than I need | 68% | £14 |
| Leave the oven preheating for 30 minutes or more | 37% | £10 |
| Overfill the air fryer | 24% | £10 |
| Overfill the dishwasher | 28% | £9 |
| Leave the fridge or freezer door open for long periods | 29% | £6 |
| Use the same temperature for everything you cook in the oven, even if the cooking instructions recommend a lower temperature | 51% | £3 |
Source: Uswitch.com. Energy prices assume a household is on a price-capped Standard Variable Tariff.
The washing machine is all too often misused. Two-thirds of households (67%) use the fastest cycle no matter what the energy cost, while three-fifths (62%) admit to never using the appliance’s eco mode[3] – both are habits that can add £19 a year to the energy bill[7]. Many households wrongly assume that longer eco cycles use more electricity than shorter ones.
In addition, nearly half of people (45%) confess to overfilling the washing machine[3]. While overfilling the appliance won’t use any extra energy during the cycle, having to rewash clothes that haven't been washed properly could add a similar amount to household costs.
Bad kitchen habits are all too common. Warming up the oven ahead of a meal should only take a few minutes, but a third of consumers (37%) admit to leaving it preheating for more than 30 minutes[3]. While a one-off would cost about 26p, over a year it could add up to £10 in wasted energy.
While air fryers might be a staple household appliance for millions of Brits, many are still unsure about cooking times. Two-fifths of people (39%) admit to cooking food in the air fryer for the same time as they would in the oven. Generally, food cooked in an air fryer only needs about half the time as required in an oven, meaning that amateur cooks guilty of this habit are likely to have severely overcooked food!
Uswitch is urging people to reconsider how they use appliances to reduce their energy bills.
Ben Gallizzi, energy expert at Uswitch.com, comments: “Modern appliances are designed to use as little energy and water as possible, but the way we use them can cause the bills to mount up.
“One of the most expensive bad habits is taking long showers, and the third of people taking 20-minute washes may find they’re paying about £120 a year more than they should be.
“A few good habits could save you a significant amount on your energy bill, such as using the eco mode on your appliances, only putting as much water in the kettle as you need, and not overfilling the washing machine, tumble dryer and dishwasher.
“Anyone worried about bad habits can track their energy usage on the free Uswitch app by connecting their smart meter.
“As well as reducing energy usage, many households on standard tariffs could pay lower rates by switching to a fixed deal. Right now, there are a range of energy deals on the market offering significant savings.”
See if you can save by comparing energy deals at Uswitch.com
For more information
Beverley Noble | Energy PR Manager
beverley.noble@rvu.co.uk
Twitter: @UswitchPR
Notes to editors
Research conducted online by Opinium, 6th to 11th June 2025, among 2,000 UK adults, weighted to be nationally representative.
1. Respondents were asked about a number of bad energy habits. 97% of respondents answered ‘yes’ to at least one habit.
2. See table in release for cost of habits.
3. See table in release for proportion of households who admitted to each bad habit.
4. The average Brit showers six times a week for eight minutes a time. An average electric shower uses 7.5kW. So a year’s showering for the average Brit is eight minutes / 60 x six showers a week x 52 weeks a year x 7.5kW x £0.2573/kWh = £80.28. For someone showering 20 minutes a time = £80.28 / eight x 20 = £200.69. £200.69 - £80.28 = £120.41 extra electricity costs.
5. The average household spends £25.29 a year on electricity for their oven. Preheating the oven for 30 minutes for each use could increase this energy use by 40%. 40% of £25.29 = £10.12
6. The average household spends £28.80 a year on electricity for their kettle. Overfilling by half as much is needed would mean an extra 50% of water to be heated. £28.80 x 0.5 = £14.40.
7. The average household spends £38.11 a year on electricity for their washing machine. Eco modes are estimated to reduce energy use by about 50%. £38.11 x 0.5 = £19.05.
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.