How to get your kids to stop feeding the energy vampires

There’s little more infuriating than walking into your child’s bedroom in the middle of the day only to find the light on, the TV switched on and the games console still running.

These so-called ‘energy vampires', appliances and gadgets that are left switched on or sitting in standby mode, could be quietly adding to your household energy use.

And with energy bills rising again, those little habits can soon add up.

New research from Uswitch found that leaving a TV, games console, microwave and digital TV box on standby, while also leaving a phone and laptop charging for 24 hours a day, could add up to £32.14 a year.

With the energy price cap set to rise by another 4% this October, it’s not a cost you’ll want to simply shrug off.

How much energy are your gadgets using?

Uswitch’s figures show how much some common household gadgets can cost to run over eight hours, roughly the amount of time they might be left on or in standby overnight, based on the current July price cap unit rates:

• games console (in use): 41.8p
• games console (standby): 0.84p
• TV (in use): 20.3p
• TV (standby): 1.01p
• microwave: 0.21p
• smart speaker: 0.52p
• phone left charging: 0.10p
• laptop left charging: 0.63p
• digital TV box (in use): 4.60p
• Digital TV box (standby): 3.13p
• Digital TV box (deep standby/eco mode): 0.15p
• Broadband router: 2.09p

So, for example, if your child falls asleep with the TV on for eight hours, that’s around 20p of energy.

Leave a laptop charging for the same amount of time and it’s around 0.63p, while a phone left charging costs roughly 0.10p.

Individually, these amounts might not seem huge. But when you’ve got several gadgets being left on night after night, they can soon mount up.

But don't switch everything off

It’s worth remembering that not every appliance should be switched off at the plug.

For example, a broadband router uses around 2.09p over eight hours, but you’re generally better off leaving it switched on.

The same goes for any appliances where the manufacturer recommends keeping them powered.

So, how do you get your kids to switch off?

Kids are notoriously good at leaving lights, TVs, consoles and chargers running. It can be tempting to put this down to laziness, but there’s more to it.

Children and teenagers are still developing the habits and routines that help them think about longer-term consequences, especially when there’s an immediate reward involved, such as just one more level on a game.

So rather than constantly shouting “TURN IT OFF!”, try making switching off part of their routine.

Make it ridiculously easy

Put chargers, consoles and other gadgets somewhere they’re easy to reach and switch off.

If your child has to crawl behind a cabinet to reach the plug, you can pretty much guarantee it won’t happen.

Create a ‘last one out’ rule

Make a simple rule that the last person leaving a room switches off the lights and anything that doesn’t need to be running.

Give them a challenge

Turn it into a game. Challenge your kids to do an ‘energy vampire hunt’ around the house.

Who can find the most things that have been left switched on?

You could even give them a weekly target, with a small reward if the whole family manages to stick to it.

Use smart plugs or timers

If your kids repeatedly forget, technology can do some of the remembering for them.

Smart plugs and timers can automatically switch certain gadgets off at set times, so you’re not relying on your child remembering every single night.

Make ‘switch off’ part of bedtime

Build it into their existing routine.

The more consistent the sequence, the less likely you are to hear “Oh, I forgot!”.

Talk about the money

Older children and teenagers may respond better if you show them the numbers.

Explain that switching things off isn’t just about saving energy, it could help save money too.

You could even let them see how much your household spends on energy and set a family challenge to see whether you can reduce unnecessary usage.

Lead by example

And finally, check your own habits.

If you’re telling your kids to switch off the TV while leaving your own laptop, lights and kitchen gadgets running, they’re unlikely to take the message seriously.

Make switching off something everyone in the household does, rather than another rule aimed at the kids.

Because once switching things off becomes a habit, you shouldn’t have to walk into their bedroom every afternoon and discover that the TV, console and lights have been merrily running for hours.