Households Waste £227 Million a Year Leaving Appliances on Standby

21st August 2014

- Seven in ten (76%) households leave electrical items on standby, with over a third (38%) admitting they do all the time.

- Homes across the country are losing out on £227 million a year by not switching appliances off at the mains.

- Televisions, phone chargers and set top boxes are the devices most commonly left on standby

- With nine out of 10 people in possession of a mobile, collective phone charger standby costs have hit £28.9 million over the course of a year, while televisions have racked up £23.8 million

- While four in five (81%) consumers know that turning items off at the mains means they're not using energy, a quarter (24%) either forget or can't be bothered to do so

- One in six Brits (14%) don't turn off all the lights when they go out.

Households across the country are losing out on £227 million a year by leaving electrical appliances on standby according to new research from uSwitch.com, the price comparison and switching service[2]. Seven out of ten (76%) homes leave items on standby with almost four in ten (38%) admitting they never completely switch them off.

The average household leaves electrical items on standby for a combined total of 51 hours a day[9]. Televisions, phone chargers and digital television boxes are the three top items most likely to be left on standby, accumulating a collective £145.2 million alone across the country.

While four in five (81%) are aware that leaving electronics on standby will impact their energy bill, 14% are unaware that appliances still use energy when left on standby, and 7% mistakenly think they only use energy when actively in use. Four in ten consumers (41%) say they do not see the point of doing so if they will use them again, one in ten (11%) can't be bothered to switch devices off, and 13% simply forget.

Additionally, people in over three million homes[8] keep the lights on even when they've left the house - while a third (38%) admit to leaving televisions on standby[8]. Only one in ten (11%) turn off appliances when leaving the house for the day, with 64% leaving some devices on standby even when on holiday.

Jules Greenidge, energy expert at uSwitch.com, says: "Although the average cost of leaving appliances on standby might not seem like a lot, these costs can quickly add up to a more substantial sum.

"With families struggling with the rising cost of living, simply remembering to turn off appliances at the mains when you've finished using them will avoid unnecessary standby expenses. Consumers can also reduce spending by switching to the cheapest tariff for their needs. So, by switching off and switching tariff, consumers will see instant savings."

Research carried out online with the uSwitch.com Consumer Opinion Panel in July 2014 amongst a sample of 1,905 GB adults.