Five ‘costly’ appliance mistakes ‘silently’ adding £174 to your energy bills

Five ‘costly’ appliance mistakes ‘silently’ adding £174 to your energy bills (Image: Getty)

Every household leads a busy lifestyle, which means it is easy to overlook simple mistakes which can add to energy bills.

From neglected dryer vents to draughts, the average UK household could be spending hundreds of pounds extra each year.

Luckily, Andrew Haydon from Simply Plastics has shared these common pitfalls to help Britons avoid them.

One of the most common and “costly mistakes” is people failing to clean their tumble dryer vents which makes them run far less efficiently.

This means it will take longer to dry clothes as well as be a huge fire risk within the home.

Get cleaning tips straight to your phone Join us on WhatsApp

Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. Read our Privacy Policy

1. Dirty tumble dryer vents

The expert said: “Cleaning out your tumble dryer is an easy fix that can make a huge difference to your energy bills not to mention a build-up of lint is a major fire risk.

“To stop it from building up, try to empty your machine of lint every time you use it. That way you can keep your machine running at max capacity every time.”

2. Ignoring draughts

Homes already lose a lot of heat through windows, but poor seals or large gaps under doors can make the draughts worse.

This can lead to households putting their heating on for an hour longer, which can work out to be an extra £29.78 per year.

The expert said: “Fixing draughts is a cheap and easy fix that will make all the difference to your heating bills.

Limescale can cause appliances to work harder (Image: Getty)

“You can buy cheap draught excluders for under £20, but you can also DIY one using an old towel rolled up at the base of your door.”

3. Leaving the lights on

Leaving the lights on may seem harmless, but it can quickly cause energy bills to rack up. For example, leaving a 100-watt light bulb on for eight hours a day will set you back 20p. But over a year, this will be £73 per bulb, a “costly mistake”.

4. Not descaling appliances

In areas with hard water, a build-up of limescale is inevitable and is present in kettles, dishwashers and washing machines.

Limescale can cause appliances to make them work harder, which can cost households more money.

The expert said: “This is why it’s important to regularly descale your appliances, especially if you live in a hard water area.

“Not only will your appliances run less efficiently, but they’re more likely to break down, leaving you with a larger bill.”

5. Overfilling your kettle

Overfilling your kettle when it isn’t needed can be a costly mistake. An average mug will cost around 1.04p to boil while filling the kettle to its full capacity will cost 5.72p.

This means boiling a full kettle for one cup of tea will be wasting 4.68p each time, a huge £16.70 a year.

The expert continued: “When making your next cuppa, make sure to only use the water you need.

“If you do accidentally overfill your kettle, just fill a thermos with the excess hot water. That way you can make your next cuppa without having to turn the kettle on again.”