From washing up vs the dishwasher to leaving TVs on standby – 9 common energy-saving myths busted
THEY are the (energy) burning questions on everyone’s lips as power prices surge: What our various electrical applicances cost to run.
Kettle or hob, toaster or grill, dishwasher or a session at the sink with the Fairy liquid?
Couples up and down the land are locked in often-heated debates about the not really very sexy topic of energy efficiency.
Many will be nagging each other about not leaving phone chargers plugged in night and day, and TVs and game consoles on standby when not in use.
So here, to cut down on the barneys and save you some hard-earned, we look at everyday electrical items around the home and what they cost you to run.
We reckon a family of four could save hundreds of pounds a year by following our tips.
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KETTLE v HOB
Testers tried out two ways of boiling an egg.
First, they boiled a litre of water in a kettle, popped the egg into the kettle after switching it off – and left the egg in to cook.
The energy cost was just over 5p.
In contrast, boiling the egg on the hob worked out at 7.5p.
Not much in it, but cooking an egg a day the cheaper way would save you over £9 a year.
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TOASTER v GRILL
The old saying is that if you save the pennies, the pounds will look after themselves – and that is so true in the kitchen.
It will cost you 3.4p to grill toast in the oven but just 2.3p to stick it in the toaster.
Choose the cheaper option 365 times a year and you save about £4. Not a lot, but every little helps.
OVEN v MICROWAVE
While chefs may not consider microwaving to be proper cooking, it is cheaper than sticking food in the oven.
We baked a potato in the oven for one hour at 190C, which used 0.87kWh at a cost of 24.6p.
The microwave took just ten minutes to do the same job and used only 0.015kWh, at a cost of 0.4p.
So a lot more economical.
SHOWER v BATH
A bath holds about 80 litres of water, costing around £1.20 to heat.
An eight-minute shower needs 62 litres and a power one 136 – costing more than the bath, at nearly £2.
But limit yourself to just a four-minute shower, as is often suggested to save energy, and you will use 31 litres or 68 for the power shower – slightly cheaper than a soak in the tub.
ON FOOL CHARGE
Leaving a phone charger plugged into the socket after the handset is fully juiced, maybe over-night, will cost you.
It does depend on the charger’s energy efficiency but if you never took the charger out of the socket, that could rack up a bill of £14.50 over a year.
If a family of four were all doing the same, the damage would be £58.
WASHING-UP v DISHWASHER
If you own a dishwasher, it pays to use it.
A machine with an energy efficiency A-rating costs about £30 a year to run if you fill it up and do not rinse your dirty items first.
Handwashing in the sink is pricier, as it uses four times as much water.
The exact cost will always depend on how good your boiler is.
BEWARE STANDBY
Making sure to switch off TVs, game consoles and other electronic gadgets at the socket, or unplugging, is more import-ant than ever given the sky-high energy prices.
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Leaving a console on standby every day and night would cost you about £37 over the year.
Doing the same with a 32in LED telly would rack up a bill of £7.43.