As energy bills are forecasted to rise by another 10 percent, state pensioners who have lost their £300 Winter Fuel Payment this winter are scouring for ways to save money during the colder months.
The consumer magazine Which? has come up with a savvy tip – by unplugging devices that stealthily drain electricity, contributing to higher bills despite not being actively used. Although most know that heavy-duty gadgets like tumble dryers, ovens, or boilers crank up our outgoings, there are some household items guilty of incrementally inflating costs.
Which? has revealed that wireless speakers/smart speakers and sound bars secretly guzzle power even when idle, stating: “They’re the most power-hungry gadgets in standby, costing around £6 per year (based on 20 standby hours per day).”
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The seemingly nominal £6 expense per speaker, accrued essentially for idling, can become concerning over time. Other culprits include PCs, games consoles, and TVs, designed perennially poised on standby for quick activation reports Lincolnshire Live.
However, with advances in technology, PCs now wake from a complete shutdown only seconds slower than from standby. This fact underlines the unnecessary financial drain caused by standby modes, offering a practical cost-cutting avenue without sacrificing much convenience.
State pensioners are at risk of losing their £300 Winter Fuel Payment unless they are on Pension Credit, warns Martin Lewis. He estimates that as many as 800,000 people who should be claiming this aren’t doing so.