Energy ‘vampires’ are pushing up your bills - and the government is stepping in

How often do you leave your TV on stand-by, charge your phone overnight or keep the microwave switched on at the mains? Your house is full of devices and appliances that draw power even when they’re not being used - and that’s costing you money.

So the government is taking steps to tackle the problem of so-called energy vampires and hopefully knock money off your energy bills.

What’s being proposed?

The Mirror reports the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) wants new products to meet tougher energy-saving standards.

So although they might cost more at first, DESNZ believes this could help households save between £1.48 and £5.55 per appliance.

Apply that to every gadget in your house that silently consumes power and that could add up to big savings on your energy bill.

“When it comes to energy bills, the small things can really add up and end up costing families a chunk of money over a year,” said Martin McCluskey, minister for local energy and jobs.

"We are improving our standards to stop everyday devices silently draining electricity from the grid and money from families’ bank accounts.”

These new rules are expected to be introduced next year.

How much are energy vampires costing you?

Research by uSwitch suggests that leaving devices like TVs, games consoles and microwaves on standby, while also leaving your phone and laptop charging all day, adds up to £32.14 to your bill every year.

That’s a big expense at a time when many households are already struggling with soaring gas and electricity bills.

Just this month, the energy price cap went up by 4%, and Cornwall Insight believes it could go up by a further 16% in January.

Make turning off appliances a habit

It's good to see action being taken on energy vampires that are costing people money.

But you don’t have to wait for new government rules to come in to address this issue at home.

You can make a point of switching devices off at the wall until it becomes a habit today.

Making this part of your day-to-day routine makes you much more mindful of how much energy you’re consuming.

And it also means you’re setting a good example to everyone else in the house, which can be important if your other half, housemates or kids are guilty of leaving appliances switched on.

After all, they might take you far more seriously if you’re practising what you preach, and understand how much money it’s saving you.