7 bad habits hurting your energy bills

Budget-conscious Brits have been urged to kick common bad habits which are adding hundreds of pounds to energy and utility bills each year.

Experts at Quotezone.co.uk have named the top seven bad habits that most people are guilty of, which are actually adding hundreds to their energy bills.

From leaving the fridge door open when making a cup of tea, to charging mobile phones up at night, there are several routines which could be adding unnecessary costs to yearly bills.

Subconsciously, many people boil the kettle with more water than what is necessary – but this is costing on average £43 every year; being mindful about how much water is actually needed is a quick and easy way to save money.

Helen Rolph, energy comparison expert at Quotezone.co.uk said that although old habits die hard, these expensive practices in our daily routines have got to go, in order to cut down our bills.

She said: “Most of us are guilty of many of these bad habits around the house, but they’re actually costing us hundreds of pounds every year, completely unnecessarily.

“Making a conscious effort to turn off devices and appliances instead of leaving them on standby, as well as being sure to switch off the lights when leaving a room may be obvious to many, but actually doing so could cut £90 from your energy bills.

“Being mindful of when you charge your phone could also lead to savings; instead of leaving it plugged in all night, charge it up in the morning or before you nod off, it may only save pennies a week – but over the years it adds up.

“Kicking these bad habits may take you a couple of weeks to get used to, but it could be worth the investment – saving you potentially hundreds of pounds on your energy and utility bills by just making small changes.”

Here are the Quotezone.co.uk seven bad habits to kick to save money on your bills:

1. Charging your phone overnight

Most of us are used to plugging in our mobiles overnight ready to wake up to a full charge in the morning. But charging your phone for hours during the night wastes energy every single day.

Although one charge typically costs less than a penny, since the majority of us have been plugging in every night for years, doing so is only adding to energy bills unnecessarily. Instead try charging in the morning or just before falling asleep and then switching the plug off.

2. Leaving the fridge door open

It’s a habit which we’re all guilty of – leaving open the door as we make a cup of tea, or standing with the door open deciding what to eat. Research has shown for every minute the fridge door is left open, it takes another 10 minutes to fully cool down again.*

Keeping the door open for no reason no doubt wastes a lot of energy and money trying to regulate the temperature again.

3. Running the tap whilst brushing your teeth

It’s a habit hard to kick as it’s something many Brits do subconsciously, but leaving the tap running whilst brushing your teeth shockingly wastes over six litres every minute.

That means after brushing your teeth for two minutes, twice a day, more than 24 litres of water are wasted, that’s approximately 4p per day** – costing almost £15 a year per person.

4. Stop overfilling the kettle

Most Brits don’t think about how much they actually need to fill the kettle up when making a cup of tea or cooking some pasta. This leads to a waste of water as well as electricity when re-boiling and over-boiling.

Boiling the kettle according to usage can quickly save around £43 every year on energy bills.***

5. Washing your clothes too often

Another easy way to reduce energy bills is to consider how often clothes actually need to be washed. If the garment isn’t stained or soiled, it’s recommended to only wash jeans every five wears, shirts and tops every one-two wears, and jumpers every six wears.

Reducing how often clothes are washed and opting to use the 30 degree setting, will mean less washing machine cycles, which can cut energy bills by £34 each year.****

6. Not leaving appliances on

One of the worst things for a hike in energy bills is leaving appliances on standby when they’re not in use. Many of us don’t think about fully turning off our devices after we finish using them, in fact only 25% of people in our latest energy survey said they switched off standby devices, but doing so can save around £65 each year.

This includes switching off the TV and games console at the wall, microwaves, laptops, dishwashers and washing machines.***

7. Turning off the lights  

It’s one of the most well-known tips to save money on energy bills, but many Brits are still guilty of leaving the light on after they’ve left a room.

It may not seem like you’ll save a lot of money, but making an effort to remember to turn off lights and lamps around the house can actually save £25 every year.***

Quotezone.co.uk can help families compare providers and save on their energy bills.

References:

*https://sewenergy.org.uk/energy-saving/

**https://www.water.org.uk/news-item/the-quick-fix-way-to-cut-water-waste-at-home/https://www.water.org.uk/advice-for-customers/water-and-health/ 

*** https://energysavingtrust.org.uk/hub/quick-tips-to-save-energy/ 

****https://www.whirlpool.com/blog/washers-and-dryers/how-often-should-you-wash-your-clothes.html